One Final Threat
by Basil's Angel of Music
Summary: Atem loses the Ceremonial Duel to Yugi, allowing him to return to the afterlife. However, after remembering a woman from his past whom he had failed to protect, becomes to afraid to go home, afraid of what consequences might await him. Just as well, as it appears he and his friends have one final threat to eliminate before the world can truly be saved. (YamixOC and YugixOC)
1. Chapter 1

"Very impressive, Yugi," I said to my closest friend, Yugi Moto, who had somehow just managed to defeat both my Dark Magician _and_ Dark Magician Girl with the powers of his Silent Magician.

The day before, we had only just saved the world from destruction by defeating Zorc the Dark One, who had intended on using the return of the Shadow Games in order to wipe out all life on earth. Now were competing against each other in the Battle Ritual which was to decide my fate. If I won, I would have to remain in this world, but if Yugi won, I would be able to return to the spirit world where I belonged. So far, it must've looked to his spectators, his closest friends, that he had the upper hand, but little did they know that I had a card in my hand which would win this duel for me.

"Although I was able to save my life points from destruction," I continued. "Your magician succeeded in defeating both of mine. Now we each have two hundred life points left, so the end is near. This will be my final turn. You have fought bravely, but unfortunately, this duel will conclude with _my_ victory. Thank you, Yugi. I know you tried everything you could to set me free."

Yugi didn't say a word. He just nodded in response, so I decided to just make my move.

"I activate this," I went on, taking my chosen card from my hand and showing it to him. "The magic card, Monster Reborn!" Playing the card in my duel disc, a holographic version of it then appeared in front of me, facing towards my friend before being engulfed in a swirling wind. "And now, I shall resurrect Slifer the Sky Dragon!"

And with that, the wind, which had quickly risen around me disappeared, revealing my revived god monster, which Yugi had defeated earlier along with the other two, Obelisk the Tormentor and the Winged Dragon of Ra. Everyone watching gasped with surprise.

"Oh, man!" cried Tristan.

"He just brought back an Egyptian god!" exclaimed Joey.

"Slifer's attack points are determined by the number of cards in my hand," I explained to Yugi. "And since I'm holding four, he now has four thousand points!"

_My spirit shall remain in this world_, I thought to myself, thinking that with one of my Egyptian gods back, this duel could only end with my victory. _I guess Yugi and I weren't destined to separate._

As I looked on towards my friend, waiting for him to make is own move, I noticed that he just stood there with his eyes closed. At first I thought he was admitting defeat and that he would surrender. But when he opened his eyes again, I noticed the look of determination on his face the entire duel still remained. I must admit, I was confused as to why he was still willing to keep duelling. What sort of strategy could he possibly have that would save him from my Egyptian god cards a second time?

Just then, something on his side of the Field caught my eye. Looking up towards his Gold Sarcophagus which he had played earlier, I saw its lid start to slide open. "What's this!?" I gasped.

"The card I hid inside that box is the same card you just played!" Yugi announced, as a bright light came from the sarcophagus, filling the entire chamber.

"Wait, but that's impossible!" I heard Joey protest. "There's only _one_ Slifer the Sky Dragon card!"

He was right of course. There was only one card of each of the three Egyptian gods, and they were all in my deck. So Yugi couldn't possibly have put it into his Gold Sarcophagus. Unless…

As the light from the sarcophagus began to dim, a card came out and I was soon able to see what it was my friend had placed into the gold box above him. Indeed, it was a card I had just played, but it wasn't Slifer the Sky Dragon. It was… Monster Reborn!

"The card I buried was Monster Reborn!" Yugi stated. "And since the magic card you just played is the same one that I put in my Gold Sarcophagus, the effect of your card is negated, which means your Egyptian god goes back to the Graveyard! So this duel is still on!"

At that moment, monster slowly disappeared into thin air, leaving me once again without any monsters to protect my life points from another direct attack, the one which would end this duel and set me free.

"No way!" I heard Mokuba gasp. "He just defeated Slifer for the second time!"

"Of all the cards to put in that box, how did Yugi know which one to pick?" asked Joey, obviously surprised at how lucky Yugi's guess was as to which card he ought to put into his Gold Sarcophagus.

"What do you expect? He's the King of Games, dude!" answered Tristan.

"He must've had this planned from the beginning," I heard Téa say sadly. "I guess after spending so much time with the Pharaoh, Yugi knew exactly what he would play."

So it was true. Yugi really had come a long way since our first meeting, after solving the Millennium Puzzle. Knowing me all those years, when it was usually me who duelled for him, he must've played close attention to my strategies and worked out clever ones of his own to counter them with in this duel. It was official now; the once shy and timid boy really was the _true_ King of Games. At that moment, I really couldn't have been any prouder of my friend than I was at that moment.

_This was the greatest duel of my life_, I thought happily. _It's been an honour, Yugi._

Looking back towards my friend, I saw his determined expression had vanished completely. Now he was looking down towards the ground, his body shaking as if fighting to prevent himself from bursting into tears as a look of absolute dread now filled his large, lilac eyes. He must've remembered what the significance of this duel was and was very reluctant to call the attack on me that would win the duel.

"Go on," I said to him. "Your move."

But still Yugi didn't even seem to hear me. He just continued to hyperventilate and I thought I could see his eyes beginning to shine with the tears he was fighting to hold back.

"I don't get it," I heard Duke say. "What's Yugi waiting for? All he has to do is attack and the duel is over."

"That's just it," Bakura answered. "Once the match comes to an end, the Pharaoh will be released, and we'll never see him again."

Yes, I now knew for sure why Yugi didn't want to call his attack. He knew that by doing so, he would defeat me and I would be able to return home, something he obviously absolutely dreaded. He did consider me his friend, after all, and who would want to send their friends away forever?

As I saw tears coming to my friend's eyes, I just smiled towards him, hoping to indicate that I would welcome his attack warmly.

_It's all right, Yugi_, I thought. _Proceed._

As if hearing my thoughts, Yugi immediately pulled himself together and looked up towards his monster. "All right! Silent Magician!" he shouted, a few tears falling from his eyes. "Attack his life points directly!"

At that moment, his magician leapt high into the air and pointed its staff down towards me, launching its attack. It sent a large orb of light hurtling towards me and when it hit me, I had to shield my eyes from the blinding light which now engulfed the entire chamber.

"Wait, so did Yugi win the duel?" I heard Duke ask again.

"If this attack is successful, then yes," Ishizu answered him, and I was soon aware of everyone watching the scene in front of them, completely awestruck by what was happening.

However, it wasn't long before the light slowly began to die away and I was able to take my arm down from over my eyes and turn back to face Yugi. I had only two hundred life points left, and Yugi's Silent Magician had one thousand attack points, more than enough to wipe me out, thus winning the duel for him.

As the holograms around us disappeared, my friend just sank to his knees and began to weep bitterly. Even though his victory meant losing me, one of his closest friends, I still saw no reason for him to be on his knees, crying like this. This duel wasn't just some ancient ceremony which would decide my fate. It was a test for both of us. For me, it was a test to see if I could accept defeat, since I had been victorious in almost all of the duels I had fought since my spirit had been awakened into this world. For Yugi, it was a test to see if he really was the better duelist and that he could now fight on his own. By defeating me, not only did he prove just that, but that he truly was the champion of the world, and no champion should ever celebrate their victory like this.

Wanting to comfort my friend, I walked up to him until I was right in front of him. "Congratulations," I said, genuinely very proud of him. "Well done."

But still my young friend didn't respond. His tears just streamed endlessly down his face as he continued to stare down at the stone ground in front of him.

"Yugi," I said, kneeling down in front of him and putting my hand on his shoulder. "A champion doesn't belong on his knees. You've achieved a great victory for us both."

"I-I was focusing so hard on playing the game," my friend sobbed, barely able to get his words out. "That I forgot… what winning this duel would actually mean. By defeating you, I've sent you away… for good."

"No, you have opened the door for me," I said gently to Yugi. "Thanks to you, my spirit can finally be at rest once again. I'll be back where I belong. Fate brought us together for a reason and we fulfilled our destiny."

Yugi finally stopped crying but his tears still continued to fall as he looked up at me.

"We've protected mankind from the return of the Shadow Games," I continued, bringing him back up onto his feet. "And we've both grown tremendously along the way."

"I'm gonna miss you," Yugi simply said to me.

"You do realise we'll never truly be apart, right?" I said encouragingly to my friend. "The gift of kindness you've given me and the courage I've given you will remain with us, and that will forever bind us together."

"Right," Yugi answered, nodding.

Suddenly, the Eye of Wadjet on the door to the spirit world started glowing, and I could hear everyone gasping in surprise.

"Hey, look!" I heard Tristan shouting.

"What's up with the eye?" Joey asked.

"Now that the Battle Ritual is complete, the Eye of Wadjet that guards the door to the spirit world has awakened," Ishizu began to explain to my friends. "And the spirit of the great Pharaoh, which was trapped within the Millennium Puzzle for five thousand years is now free."

As she spoke those words, I had turned away from Yugi and made my way towards the door. Now there was only one thing to do to in order for me to return to my rightful home.

"So this is it?" I heard Téa ask fearfully. Poor girl. Since getting to know Yugi and his friends, I had always known that she had a particular fondness for me, one which I regretfully could not reciprocate, though I still valued my friendship with her dearly.

"The time has arrived," I heard Ishizu say to me at last. "Tell the Eye of Wadjet your name."

Taking a second to prepare myself for what was to come, I finally spoke to the door in front of me. "I am the son of King Aknamkanon. My name is… Atem!"

And with that, the two doors began to slowly slide apart, engulfing the dark chamber with light once again as the path to the spirit world was revealed. Once the door was fully open, I began to step forward. Finally, the moment I had been waiting for for five millennia. Sad though I was to have to leave my modern friends behind, I knew that my spirit had no place in the world of the living, and that the afterlife was now my true home. At last, I would be able to see my old friends from the past again. Not the illusions of them I had encountered after going into the world of my memory in order to defeat Zorc the Dark One, but their spirits who had been waiting for me for five thousand years. My father, Aknamkanon, my three best friends, Seto, Mahad and Mana. But above all, I'd finally be able to see _her_ again.

And then I froze.

_She_, just like everyone else, would undoubtedly be there waiting for me. Only, would she really have been waiting for me? Would she really want to see me again, after the way I had let her down five thousand years ago? Would I still have her love just like I did all those centuries ago, or would she now hate me for not being able to prevent her own terrible fate? Would our long awaited reunion be a happy one? Would she welcome me into the afterlife with open arms, or would she treat me with a cold indifference which could only be given by someone who had been horribly betrayed? I would now be able to spend an eternity with her, yes, but would I be able to consider myself in heaven with all the love and happiness which had blossomed between us before? Or would I feel like I was in hell from no longer having the deep love she felt for me? Could I really face her again, after all these years? After what had happened to her? After what I had failed to protect her from?

"Uh… Pharaoh?" I heard Joey ask behind me.

"Everything okay, buddy?" Tristan asked.

I didn't respond. I just remained where I was, completely frozen and unable to take another step forward.

"Pharaoh…?" asked Yugi, concern in his voice.

"What are you waiting for, Pharaoh?" asked Joey again. "The spirit world's right in front of you! As much as we really don't want you to because you're our friend, all you gotta do is walk through that door now, and your spirit can finally be free!"

Would it though? Could my spirit really be at rest? Would I be able to find peace in the spirit world after returning to her? Would the eternity that awaited me be filled with happiness or misery? Suddenly unable to face what was ahead, I started stepping backwards. I was then aware of Yugi coming up to me.

"Pharaoh, what's wrong?" he asked me. "Why aren't you going?"

Turning back to face my friend, I could clearly see worry in his eyes as he looked up at me. I then became aware of my heart starting to pound uncontrollably in my chest and my eyes began to sting, indicating that tears of my own were soon to come.

"I-I…" I stammered, a lump beginning to form in my throat. "I can't go…"

"But why not?" my friend questioned. "I won the duel. I opened that door for you, so you should be able to go home now, right?"

I couldn't bring myself to answer him. I could only stare down at him, suddenly overcome with a mixture of extreme fear and dread. Turning round, I saw everyone else staring at me, with the same confused and concerned looks on their faces.

"Yugi is right, my Pharaoh," Ishizu said to me. "By defeating you in that duel, Yugi has finally set your spirit free. The door is open, my king. You can return home now."

"It's not as simple as that, Ishizu!" I snapped at her, taking her, and everyone else for that matter, by surprise. Though that outburst only served to horrify me as well. I wanted to apologise to her there and then, but no words could come to me. Looking around at everyone's faces, I fought to keep my breathing from getting to laboured, feeling as though their questioning gazes only pressured me to explain my reasons for not being able to enter into the afterlife. But I just couldn't.

"Pharaoh…" Yugi said to me again, putting his hand on my arm, causing me to turn back to him.

"Yugi…" I said to him, struggling terribly to fight back my tears that were threatening to fall at that moment. "I'm really sorry. I know you won me the right to return to the spirit world, and believe me, I really am thankful for that. But… I just don't think I can go after all."

"Why not…?" Yugi asked again, sadly this time.

"I just can't!" I cried, not really looking at him anymore. "Please… just get the Puzzle and put it back on."

"But, Pharaoh -"

"Just do as I ask!" I cut him off, unable to keep a couple of tears from escaping my eyes.

Taken aback by my reaction, Yugi thankfully chose not to question me any further and went over to the Millennium Stone, where he had placed all seven of the Items into before our duel began. Taking the Puzzle out of its own place, he put it back on around his neck as I quickly made my way over to him.

"Pharaoh, wait!" Téa called out to me. "If you go back into the Millennium Puzzle now, you might never get another chance to return to the spirit world!"

"I know, Téa," I replied solemnly to her. Looking back towards everyone, I went on, "But I simply do not feel that I am worthy. Not because of the fact that Yugi defeated me in a duel, but because…" Just then, more tears fell from my eyes. "No, please, don't make me tell you. I can't explain it. Just… don't make me go, please!"

Turning back towards Yugi, I could see bewilderment mixed with worry in his eyes. Closing my own eyes again, I simply muttered under my breath, "I'm… sorry…"

And before anyone could ask me any more questions, I just retreated back into the Millennium Puzzle, and therefore back into Yugi's soul.

~*~*~*~

As I just stood there, completely dumbfounded by what had just happened, I noticed the light from the spirit world slowly begin to dim out of the corner of my eye. Turning to face the door which led to the spirit world, I saw that it had now started to close. I thought about reaching into my mind to try and persuade the Pharaoh to come back out of the Millennium Puzzle. However, I was just so shocked by his sudden change in behaviour that all I could do was stand and watch as the doors finally closed completely.

Looking down at the Puzzle which hung from around my neck once more, I couldn't help but feel horrible for my spirit friend. I suppose I would've been glad that he would stay with us after all, had it not been for the way he had started panicking so suddenly, especially after the way he tried to soothe me over my sadness of the thought of losing him barely a couple of minutes before. And now, because of that sudden change which had seemed to come over him out of nowhere, he had missed what might have been his only chance to enter the spirit world.

What could have caused him to act this way? Did he suddenly remember something from his past? Something which the rest of us still knew nothing about? If he did, why would it cause him to change his mind about going home?

"Uh, guys?" I heard Joey ask. "What just happened?"

"Gee, I don't know, Joey," Tristan answered sarcastically. "Looks like the Pharaoh changed his mind about going to the spirit world and decided that he wanted to stick with his buddies after all."

"No…" I said, shaking my head doubtfully. "It didn't look to me like he had _decided_ to stay with us."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Duke.

Looking back towards everyone, I answered, "I think he still wanted to go to the afterlife, but I think he remembered something from his past which made him too afraid to go."

"I've never seen the Pharaoh so shaken before," said Téa. "I mean, he's usually so cool and confident, like he was just five minutes ago. But I've never seen him freak out like that before."

Turning to the three Ishtar siblings, I saw that they too looked completely shocked, just like the rest of us. Though I could also see a hint of sorrow in their eyes.

"Do you know anything about this, Ishizu?" I asked the sister.

Ishizu just sighed and shook her head sadly.

"But you guys are the Pharaoh's tomb keepers," Joey said to them. "You knew all there was to know about him, including stuff in his personal life, right? Surely you must have _some_ idea as to what could've caused him to freak out like this."

"Well… perhaps we do have _one_ idea as to why he could've acted the way he did so suddenly," replied Marik sadly. "It's just…"

"Just what, dude?" asked Tristan, getting a little impatient.

"It may not be appropriate to speak of it at this moment," answered Ishizu. "Not with the state the Pharaoh is in right now." Turning to me, she then said to me, "Perhaps, Yugi, it is best that you let _him_ speak to you about it when he feels he is ready."

I just nodded at her, not really knowing what to say.

"If you geeks are all finished," said Kaiba in his usual cold tone. "Some of us have a business to run back home. So now can we all get out of this insane place and get back to our lives?"

"Kaiba!" Téa shouted angrily.

"Do you really have to be so insensitive all the time?" yelled Joey, before going to jump Kaiba like he usually does when my rival says something insulting, only to be held back by Tristan.

"Yeah, can't you learn to think about other people's feelings for once?" asked Duke, just as angrily.

"He's right though, guys," stated Marik. "Releasing the Pharaoh was supposed to be Yugi's final task. There is no more that needs to be done here. So we may all as well just go home now."

Just then, the whole chamber fell into silence. As much as I detested what Kaiba had just said, he and Marik did have a point. There really was no use of our being here anymore, now that I had defeated the Pharaoh in that duel which was supposed to send him home. I highly doubted that getting him to come out and duel me again would open the door a second time. Though would I really be able to get him to come back out anyway?

"Yes, he's right…" I breathed sadly. Looking back towards the Millennium Stone, in which the other six Items were still placed, I went over to said stone, removed them from their places and put them back into my bag. I didn't want to leave them all here unprotected for fear that someone might come along and take them and then come after me for my Puzzle. Who knows what chance I'd have against someone with the power of six Millennium Items in their possession. Standing up, I turned back to everyone and said solemnly to them, "C'mon, guys. Let's go home."

~

After saying goodbye to the Ishtars at Cairo Airport, the rest of us finally got on the plane that would take us back to Domino City. During the flight home, while all my friends just laughed and joked around me, I could only sit in silence, staring out of my window towards the field of clouds beneath us, unable to get the events of our last adventure out of my mind. Particularly not the way the Pharaoh started freaking out about not wanting to go to the afterlife all of a sudden. I had hoped that at one point during the journey, he would speak to me through my mind now that our souls had reconnected. But he never even said one word to me and I grew more and more worried with each passing minute.

By the time our plane landed at Domino Airport, night had already fallen, so after getting off the plane and leaving the airport, we all said our goodbyes before Grandpa and I took a taxi back to the Game Shop. It started to rain during the ride, so after we got home and got out of the taxi, though not before paying the driver, he began rushing towards our front door in order to get us in and out of the drizzle as soon as possible. I just walked slowly behind him however, still unable to stop thinking about the Pharaoh. Unlocking the front door, Grandpa finally let us both inside and turned the main light on. I just ignored the slight pain the sudden brightness had brought to my eyes as I immediately started making my way towards the back of the shop, where the stairs which led up to our apartment was.

"Yugi? Is something wrong?" asked my grandpa, having obviously seen the worried expression on my face.

"Huh?" I asked, looking back at him. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just… tired is all. It's been a long and hectic adventure for all of us."

"All right," Grandpa replied, nodding his head. "You get off to bed then and I'll see you in the morning."

Thankful that he didn't decide to bring up the fact that I was worried about the Pharaoh, which he obviously knew, I just smiled at him before starting to ascend the stairs. "Night, Grandpa!" I called back to him.

"Goodnight, Yugi!" he called back.

Walking through our dark apartment, I went into my room and turned my desk light on. After dumping my bag at the end of my bed, I immediately changed into pyjamas before slumping down onto my bed with a big sigh. As it turns out, I really _was_ tired from the journey home. I laughed quietly to myself, hoping that the jet lag wouldn't be too bad in the morning. Turning my light back off, I got under my covers and was about to settle down to go to sleep before I caught sight of the Pharaoh sitting at my desk, looking out of the window with a look of deep despair on his face.

"Hey, Pharaoh," I said to him. "You okay?"

"Hm?" he asked, turning towards me. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired."

Raising one eyebrow at hearing my spirit friend using the same excuse I did with my grandpa earlier, I couldn't curb the urge to say to him, "But… you're a spirit. Spirits don't get tired, do they?"

As he looked back to me again, I though I could see a hint of annoyance in his expression at my statement, which I began to regret then. But the immense sadness in his eyes seemed to outweigh that, so he just sighed and said quietly, "Go to sleep, Yugi."

Deciding that it would probably be unwise to push the matter further at that moment, I just settled back down. "Okay," I answered sadly as I turned round to face the wall. "Goodnight, Pharaoh."

He didn't answer me. I had to admit, I wasn't surprised, as I could tell that he was in no mood to talk at the moment. At first, I had trouble getting to sleep despite my tiredness, due to the thoughts that still continued to run through my head. I really wished my friend would just tell me what it was that was bothering him, what had made him change his mind about going into the spirit world all of a sudden. Unsure though I was of the cause, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was because he had remembered something, or perhaps someone, from his past that we still didn't know about. Though whatever it was that was going through his mind, I was determined that I wouldn't rest until I could help my friend with his troubles, nor would I give up hope that he would eventually summon up the courage to speak to me about it.

Soon, my eyelids finally started to grow heavy and I immediately allowed myself to drift off into a much needed sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Thankful that Yugi had decided not to push the matter further, I watched him for a few moments until I knew for sure that he was finally asleep. I then looked back up towards the window, watching the rain run down the panes and listening to the thunder which rumbled endlessly outside. This weather seemed to reflect my emotions rather well. Even after my memories had returned to me, I still chose not to dwell on this one particular memory, concentrating only on defeating Zorc and then facing Yugi in the Ceremonial Duel which was supposed to set me free. Of course, I regretted not walking through that door despite the fact that Yugi had defeated me and therefore allowed me to return to my true realm. Though I simply could not face the uncertainty which lay ahead at that moment. The uncertainty on whether or not a reunion and an eternity with _her_ would be happy.

I dared not face her with that uncertainty in my heart, nor could I bear to tell Yugi and his friends the reason why I couldn't go, to tell them about her. As much as I regretted leaving them in the dark as to why I did not go to the spirit world, I simply could not bear to tell them of this truly horrific part of my past, the one memory which I so wished could have remained forgotten.

_(Flashback start)_

It all happened before my having to defend the world from the Shadow Games. How I still had the strength to do so then was beyond me. Perhaps it was because Shimon Muran, my most trusted advisor, had encouraged me to stay strong despite the loss which I had suffered and that I was still able to save the lives of others, even if I could not save _hers_?

Her name was Nefertari. Princess Nefertari. She was the daughter of Pharaoh Amenhotep, who ruled Upper Egypt whilst I ruled Lower Egypt. For centuries, our two kingdoms had waged war with each other constantly, until the day Pharaoh Amenhotep came to my kingdom and offered to make peace with me and to consolidate both our kingdoms. In doing so, he offered me his only daughter, Nefertari. He said that if I were to take her to be my wife, our kingdoms would be unified and the hostilities that had arisen between us could finally be put to an end.

At first, I was rather suspicious of his offer. Not only did I question in my mind the motives of my father's former rival behind his giving his daughter to me, but I was also concerned about the daughter herself. I couldn't be sure if she would agree to being given to a man whom she had not met and knew nothing about. However, upon consulting with Shimon, he assured me that Amenhotep's intentions were genuine, so I accepted his offer, knowing then that it really was for the good of the people of Egypt. Though I was still unsure about how his daughter would take the news of being betrothed to a stranger without her knowing about it first.

A few months had passed until the day that Pharaoh Amenhotep returned to my kingdom, this time accompanied by his wife and daughter. When a messenger came into my throne room with the news that the other pharaoh's retinue had been spotted approaching by the watchmen, I bade Shimon to escort them to me as soon as they arrived at the palace.

I only waited a short while until finally, the two large golden doors of the throne room opened and I was certain that the group who were now approaching me were Pharaoh Amenhotep, his family and their retainers, led by Shimon of course.

When the royal party finally reached me, Shimon stopped and bowed low before me. "My liege. Pharaoh Amenhotep and his daughter, Princess Nefertari."

He stood aside, and let the monarch who I recognised from our previous meeting come forward, leading by the hand a young woman who I instantly knew to be his daughter. At first, I was slightly taken aback when I finally laid eyes on my wife-to-be. Only a year younger than myself, she wore a simple white linen dress, but was still bedecked in finery such as bracelets, earrings and a collar with jewels in colours of green, blue and red. She also wore a strange looking necklace which looked like a golden winged scarab adorned by a turquoise jewel in the middle, which hung around her neck from a red string. Her long flowing hair was the loveliest shade of brown, but it was her bright emerald green eyes which captivated me the most. She really was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my entire life.

Once they stood before my throne, they both bowed courteously. "Your Highness," Pharaoh Amenhotep proclaimed. "I present to you, my beloved daughter, Nefertari. May she find favour in your eyes."

"This is indeed an honour," I replied, still unable to take my gaze away from Amenhotep's lovely daughter. "The princess is undeniably beautiful."

A blush appeared on the princess' face at that moment. She looked up at me and when her eyes met mine, the apprehension on her face seemed to be replaced with wonderment. It was clear to me then that the poor girl had been extremely nervous for months, presumably after her father had approached her with the news of her betrothal to me. This aroused a feeling of pity within me, so I decided I would make it all easy for her by showing her kindness.

"I welcome you to my household, Princess Nefertari," I said to her at last.

The princess bowed again. "It is a great honour, Pharaoh," she answered me nervously.

I was unable to keep myself from chuckling at how sweet her voice sounded. "Princess Nefertari, you truly are an exquisite young woman, and I will be proud to be able to call you my wife."

Just then, Nefertari breathed what looked to me like an internal sigh of relief as the blush disappeared from her cheeks.

Still smiling at her, I turned my attention to her father and announced, "The marriage shall take place in three days' time. Until then, I bid you make yourselves comfortable here. My servants shall show you to your chambers."

Formalities over, a troupe of my servants entered and escorted the nobles away. Nefertari was approached by the three servant girls who I had appointed to be her personal handmaidens prior to her arrival, Shepset Tefankh and Nekhbet.

Shepset bowed and grinned cheerfully. "Princess Nefertari, I presume?"

"Yes?" Nefertari answered.

Shepset grinned again. "I'm Shepset, and these two are Tefankh and Nekhbet," she motioned to her companions. "Pharaoh Atem appointed us to be your personal handmaidens."

"Oh."

"We're also to show you to your room and make you feel at home here, up till the marriage," Shepset continued.

"You down with that?" asked Tefankh.

"I suppose so…"

I could tell Nefertari was unsure at first by my choice of handmaidens. True they could be fairly irreverent and off-kilter at times, but they were also perfectly amicable and I thought it'd be good for her to have handmaidens round her own age. Having obviously seen how friendly they were, Nefertari nodded to them in acceptance and allowed them to lead her away.

As she passed through the great doors, Nefertari paused and took another glance back at me before following her new handmaidens through the corridors to her chamber. Had she noticed that I had been gazing at her too? It didn't seem like it.

~

I was very glad to see that Nefertari was quickly adjusting to her new surroundings and inhabitants my palace, the palace which was to become her new home. Shepset, Tefankh and Nekhbet delighted in giving her guided tours of the myriad passages, chambers and gardens. It seemed that she had gotten to know her new companions as if she had known them for years. Shepset was always cheerful and cheeky, even when talking to those of higher status than herself - including me, the pharaoh! However, I never minded it all that much, as she never really meant anyone any harm. Tefankh was also always in a perpetually good mood, constantly laughing and giggling. She would disappear into the kitchens on an errand and return bursting with stories. Nekhbet was somewhat shyer than the others, but was also given to joking. Having observed the way they interacted with each other, I was pleased to see that Nefertari had quickly warmed up to them and grew to love their company, just I had hoped she would. It would've been, after all, the only time she had ever really spoken to girls her own age.

I also sent for Nefertari more than once a day, either having her friends escort her to the throne room or going to meet her myself. We would talk together for what seemed like hours and would walk together in the corridors and the gardens, getting to know each other and our lives. During our first conversation, Nefertari was rather timid and shy around me. Like me, her previous life had obviously been a rather sheltered one, so perhaps she was not quite prepared to leave her home so soon. Hence why I always sought her out during the day, in order to show her that she could trust me, that I was her friend. I was thankful that it worked, as she seemed to be opening up to me more and more and grew more comfortable in my presence the longer we spoke.

As I told her all about my Millennium Puzzle and how I had used its powers to defend my kingdom from the invading Hyksos many times, she also told me about the mysterious artefact she wore. It was called the Scarab of Amun-Ra. Unfortunately, she didn't tell me much about it, only that it once belonged to her mother, who had now given it to her. She also said it contained some incredible powers which she was too afraid to use, as she did not know she would be able to master them. I reassured her however that if she had some faith in herself, she might have been able to one day.

Nefertari seemed to be amazed that, as a person of such incomparable status, I was always rather informal towards her and insisted that she should be too. Though I told her that since we were to become man and wife, we should not be strangers, to which she agreed.

Since my first meeting with Nefertari, I had begun to experience some new and unfamiliar emotion, one I could not identify at first. When thinking about her, I often found myself feeling a mixture of emotions such as happiness, longing and adoration. It was strange to say the least, and even stranger still that the feeling seemed to intensify whenever I was with her. Though I was never shy around her, like she was around me. In fact, that was pretty much another reason why I had sent for her more than once a day. For I enjoyed my time with her greatly, and I quickly began to miss her every time we parted. I soon realised exactly that it was that I was feeling when seeing, speaking to or thinking of Nefertari, and I wondered if she began to feel the same way for me also. However, I decided that it would be best to wait until after we were married before bringing it up.

Shepset, Tefankh and Nekhbet introduced her to servants and courtiers and I introduced her to my six high priests; Seto, bearer of the Millennium Rod, Mahad, who bore the Millennium Ring, Isis who wore the Millennium Necklace, Karim who possessed the Millennium Scales, Shada who bore the Millennium Key and Aknadin who owned the Millennium Eye. She met them all as we received their blessings, and therefore the blessings of the gods. Nefertari got to know each of them well, and seemed to warm up to most of them very quickly. The only one whom she wasn't very keen on was Aknadin. I believed she thought the way he kept his Millennium Eye beneath his deep hood made him look slightly sinister. Of course, I tried to reassure her that she had nothing to fear from him. Little did I myself know of the way he would betray us when the time came to defend the world from Zorc the Dark One.

Nefertari also had the privilege of meeting Mana, Mahad's apprentice and my childhood friend. The powers of Mahad's Millennium Ring made him a very powerful sorcerer and Mana was his top student, hoping to one day become a great magician like him. Mana was very excited for me at hearing the news of my betrothal to Nefertari, and even more excited still upon finally meeting the her. She approached often us during my time with Nefertari, despite her master's orders to continue with her training, but I could see she was all too keen to get to know the woman who was to be my wife. She talked with Nefertari quite a lot, and I could tell that they both grew fond of each other rather quickly. The girl even smiled proudly once when Nefertari wished her luck on her training when leaving us.

~

Eventually the day on which Princess Nefertari and I, Pharaoh Atem were to become officially husband and wife dawned. As Ra's fiery boat rose in to the sky to the east, I was awakened by my servants who then had me washed, dressed in my finery and my eyes outlined with kohl, all in about a few minutes.

Soon I was walking to the throne room through the corridors of my palace, accompanied by my six priests. From outside, I could hear the noise of a city given up to celebration. Everyone I passed smiled at me and bowed.

When we reached the throne room, we were met by both Pharaoh Amenhotep's courtiers and mine, all dressed in their finery for the event. I noticed that they had all fallen silent and seemed to be facing the opposite end of the throne room. Looking in their direction, I finally spotted Princess Nefertari standing there, dressed in a long white silk gown which trailed behind her like the golden sashes that hung from her shoulders. She wore a golden diadem on her head and was bedecked with a little more jewellery on her arms and wrists than usual. Her Scarab was also around her neck as always. At that moment, she really did look like a queen to me, and a very beautiful one at that.

Standing behind her were her three handmaidens, all smiling brightly. Nefertari on the other hand looked incredibly nervous. Poor girl. The knowledge that you are now to become Queen of Egypt must be an awful lot for a young woman of just seventeen to absorb. She appeared to be scanning the crowd, presumably in search of a familiar face to make her way towards, her mother or her father perhaps.

When her eyes fell upon me, her expression immediately relaxed a little and I felt a slight smile tugging at my lips as I made my way towards her through the crowd, followed by my priests. Reaching her, I held out my hands to her. She smiled in reply and slid her hands into mine. At once, a collective cheer erupted from all courtiers. When Nefertari accepted my hands, she accepted me as her husband, and Upper and Lower Egypt were unified.

There was no formal ceremony, as was always the case with ancient Egyptian marriage. Instead, there was a huge feast to celebrate the joining of the pharaoh and his new queen. In this case, myself and Nefertari, who stayed by my side all day as what seemed like the entire population of Egypt came up to us to offer their congratulations. My six priests came up to offer us their blessings and to remind us that as a married couple, our inspiration was the great holy couple of Osiris and Isis.

The feast lasted all day, with singing and dancing. Nefertari found herself cornered by her mother, who was crying and mumbling something along the lines of, "My baby's all grown up and married." Mana had also invited herself to the feast, congratulating me as well as wrapping her arms tightly around me, which seemed to amuse Nefertari a little. My new wife was then hunted down by Shepset, Tefankh and Nekhbet, who I had also allowed to join in the celebrations, and who were using the excuse to stuff themselves with goose and the finest fruit.

"Hullo, Mrs. Atem!" Shepset beamed Nefertari.

"Freedom's gone," Tefankh reminded her cheekily, wagging her finger in Nefertari's face. "No fooling round now!"

Even though they were only joking, Nefertari still blushed furiously. I chuckled and held her hand tightly in mine.

"Oh!" Now it was Shepset who was blushing. She was staring at someone in the crowd.

"What is it?" Nefertari asked, trying to see along her friend's line of vision.

Shepset turned back to her, nibbling her bottom lip uncertainly. "D'you reckon Priest Seto will be up for a dance?"

I immediately scanned the crowd and saw my best friend and confidant, Seto standing against the wall, looking petulant. For as long as I had known Shepset, I always knew that she was particularly fond of Seto. I always noticed that whenever I spotted him walking through the corridors and Shepset, Tefankh and Nekhbet passed him, Shepset would become extremely bashful and giggly.

"C'mon, Shepset, let's get you two up on the dance floor!" Tefankh said, as she and Nekhbet each grabbed an arm of Shepset's and started steering her through the crowd towards Seto.

"Make sure you give us all the gory details of the wedding night, Nefertari!" came the farewell call as the three girls left, leaving both Nefertari _and_ myself mortified.

"I can't believe those three…" Nefertari said weakly, shaking her head as she turned back to face me.

"They're…" I myself was having trouble trying to find the right words. "Well, they're… they're… spirited."

Nefertari looked at me in disbelief. "Spirited?"

I just gave her a lopsided smile. "For want of a better word. Anyway, Nefertari," I continued, standing from my seat. "Come with me. There is something I wish to talk to you about."

I led Nefertari by the hand out of the throne room and out into a garden. In the centre was a square pool filled with clear water and lotus lilies floating on its surface, mingled with a couple of ducks. Lush green plants and trees surrounded the pool and a stone statue of the god Bes was perched at the corner, a symbol of happiness and prosperity.

"Oh!" Nefertari exclaimed. "What a beautiful place."

"Yes," I agreed, stepping up beside her and smiling at the look of guileless wonder on her face. "I often come here when I wish to be alone. Being pharaoh can be such a burden, but this place is always peaceful and I feel I can always relax here, away from the pressures of palace life."

"I suppose it must be difficult." Nefertari murmured.

"It is fortunate for me then, that I now have you to ease the strain," I smiled.

Nefertari blushed. "Fortunate, indeed."

I reached out and took her hand into mine and I felt her tensing up slightly. I kept my eyes on her and saw her cheeks beginning to turn red again as she looked down at our hands together and our fingers interlocked. Her eyes hastily darted up until they met mine. Though I could clearly see embarrassment in those beautiful emerald orbs, I still felt that this was the perfect moment to finally tell her how I truly felt about her. "I feel as if Hathor herself brought you to me." I whispered.

In that instant, I leaned in towards Nefertari and pressed my lips against hers. As I held my new wife in my arms, her body tensed up even more for a couple of seconds before I finally felt her relax in my embrace. My already fluttering heart began to dance even faster in my chest when I was aware of her returning said embrace, and the kiss too. It was true. This moment was perfect, as if Hathor, the goddess of love and joy, had ordained it.

Suddenly, and all too soon, we were interrupted by a familiar voice calling, "Nefertari! Pharaoh Atem -!" then stopping short and breaking into a stream of helpless giggles.

Pulling away from Nefertari, the both of us blushing with embarrassment, we turned to see Shepset, who was hovering in the doorway, looking half-awkward and half-gleeful.

"Uh… not interruptin' anything, am I?" she asked hesitantly.

"Guess…" I said, trying to smile through my embarrassment. "But surely you have a reason to be here. What is it, Shepset?"

"Well, Your Highness, it's just that there's a lady here to see you and the missus."

"A lady?" I questioned.

"Aye, a lady," Shepset answered. "A high-born lady. I asked her where she's from, but all she said was, 'From far away across the deserts'. But she's here to bless the union between you and Nefertari."

Nefertari and I exchanged a glance. I shrugged. "Then we shall receive her."

Taking Nefertari's hand, I led her from the garden and back into the palace. There, we found a large crowd gathering around the entrance. It parted however, and a woman walked towards us. She was clearly a noblewoman. Her bearing, the very form of her face, denoted her as being of high birth. She was in a flowing gown of white linen that seemed to float around her like a mist. Jewellery heavy with gemstones hung from her neck and wrists. Her long black hair flowed across her shoulders like a glistening hood. Her black eyes seemed to hold a glint of green. She held a staff, which was carved in the likeness of a hooded serpent and which clicked against the stone floor with every step the woman made in our direction.

When she reached us, she bowed before us. "Greetings, Pharaoh Atem and Queen Nefertari. I have journeyed long and far to express my joy at the news of your marriage. Please, accept the blessings of a humble subject."

"Of course," I replied, smiling. Then I paused. "May I ask the name of the lady who gives us her blessings?"

The lady bowed graciously, the movement slow and graceful, like the curve of a snake's body. "I am known simply as Lady Meretseger, great Pharaoh. I come from far away across the desert sands from a land many leagues away, not nearly as rich or as splendid as your own, my lord."

I couldn't help but smile proudly at the compliment and both Nefertari and I bowed to Lady Meretseger.

"My lady," Nefertari said. "You must be tired after your long journey, and hungry too. Please feel free to join in our festives and I can have my handmaidens prepare a room for you."

"We're on it!" Tefankh piped immediately and she, Shepset and Nekhbet almost skipped from the hall.

When they were gone, Lady Meretseger bowed again. "Thank you for your kindness and your hospitality, my Queen."

With the exotic and gracious lady now welcomed, the feast resumed. Nefertari and I led Meretseger to the high table, where we took our seats. Meretseger sat next to Nefertari. They exchanged a few words of light chatter, then Meretseger was addressed by the nobleman sitting next to her. Nefertari turned to talk to me, but it wasn't long before I noticed the lady watching my wife intently.

Having obviously felt it, herself, Nefertari turned her head to face Meretseger, somewhat startled. "Y-yes?" she stammered, clearly a little taken aback by the lady's scrutiny.

Meretseger pointed. "I just couldn't help but notice that beautiful necklace you are wearing, my lady. It's so very… unusual, isn't it?"

"Oh…" Nefertari closed her hand around her Scarab pendant. "I suppose it is. It belonged to my mother, but now she's given it to me."

Meretseger smiled knowingly. "A gift from a loved one has more value than any gold or diamond."

Nefertari smiled in return. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

~

The next few weeks were the happiest I had ever known. During the course of those weeks, my love for Nefertari only strengthened. It seemed several lifetimes ago that she had been no more than a name to me, a faceless abstract shadow that was part of my future. As each day passed, as I learned more about my new wife, the more deeply I fell in love with her. She was so sweet, so very kindhearted and compassionate, someone who I was more than happy to have as my wife. In fact, not only was she my wife and my lover, but she also quickly became my best friend. And, happiest of all, Nefertari reciprocated my feelings completely. I believe the few weeks that had passed since the wedding were truly happy for her also. Though not just because of her being wed to me, but it was also thanks to her ever strengthening friendship with Shepset, Tefankh and Nekhbet. I was very glad then that it was them that I chose to be her handmaidens.

A wonderful haze of love and happiness had descended on the kingdom, a haze broken only by the grim words of Priest Aknadin, who warned that such joyous abandonment would not be without its grief.

~

I was dreaming. Or at least I thought I was dreaming. I hoped I was dreaming. There was darkness all around, much deeper than any darkness I had ever seen before. So dark that no flicker of light could hope to penetrate it. I could not see where I was. In fact, I could not see anything around me. Except for the pale, white-clad figure walking slowly ahead of me. At first, I did not know who it was, but after observing this figure for a moment, I immediately recognised the long, flowing brown hair.

Nefertari!

I called out to her, but she didn't respond. I called out again, but got no answer. I began running after her, reaching my hand out and calling her name repeatedly, but no matter how hard I tried, I simply could not catch up to her. It was as if some unseen force was holding me back, and therefore stopping me from reaching her.

Where was she walking to? And why would she not answer my calls? Could she even hear me? It was as if… she was in some sort of trance.

This went on for what felt like a very long time, her constantly walking ahead of me through the never ending darkness, and me, running as fast as I could, and yet, unable to reach her. Eventually, I grew very distressed, though I did not know why.

Finally, she stopped and the darkness around us seemed to lift slightly and I began to grow more aware of our surroundings. I could just make out the silhouettes of palms and bushes blowing in the light wind. The gardens?

Just then, a movement from Nefertari caught my eye. Turning my attention back to my wife, I saw her turning round to face me at long last. Only, she didn't seem to acknowledge me. Instead, she was quickly turning her head in every direction, frowning as if puzzled. Why she was so confused, I didn't know.

I called out to her again, but again, she didn't seem to hear me. She just kept looking about until suddenly, a dark figure loomed up behind her. She must've sensed it too, for in that instant, she froze, as if startled.

Knowing instantly that my wife was in danger, even though I couldn't see who this figure was, I called out to her to run, but instead, she spun round. But before Nefertari could respond, the figure seemed to spit into her face, causing her to cry out as if in pain as she turned slightly, holding a hand over her eyes. The figure then seemed to grab Nefertari's wrist, and I tried to run forward, tried to save her from whoever this assailant might be, but I was unable to move an inch. So I was forced to watch in horror as the figure held out a dagger and thrust it into my wife's chest, causing her to let out a shrill, agonised scream.

I jerked upright, fighting free of the bedcovers that clung to my body, sticking to my skin like the cold sweat on my forehead. I knew then that what I had just witnessed was only a nightmare, but the crippling fear I had felt whilst asleep hadn't relented. Crippling fear, and the vague, terrible impression that Nefertari was in danger, urgent as a scream.

I turned, and my heart seemed to stop beating when I saw that she was not lying next to me. I leapt out of bed, not even stopping to pull on my sandals, and ran from the chamber, looking up and down the corridor wildly. Silent, save for the hammering of my heart. Empty.

_The gardens_, my heart said. _She's in the gardens._

I tore through the dark corridors, crying out, "Nefertari! _Nefertari_!" Doors were beginning to open, people were beginning to emerge into the corridors. Some called after me, but I barely heard, too terrified to even think about anything except Nefertari and the danger I knew she was in.

_Please let me get there in time_, I prayed with every slap of my feet against stone. I had never prayed so desperately before in my life. _Please let me get to her before…_

Before what? What was the danger? Before what? _Before what!?_

I burst out of the palace, into the gardens. A slight breeze stirred the leaves and the bushes, but otherwise there was no sound. The Valley of the Kings itself could not have been more silent.

My heart was trying to beat out of my chest as I made my way through the maze of shrubs and pools, casting my head about to catch a glimpse of Nefertari, longing to see her but, at the same time, dreading.

I found her by the fountain, sprawled facedown on the pathway as if she had fallen, her face hidden by the sweep of her hair. But she didn't move, and no breath that I could see stirred her body.

My feet carried me to her without my having to think about it. There was fear, but it was faint, distant, a tremor at the edge of my heart, drowned by the numbness that took over my body. I could't think. Was I supposed to think?

I sank to my knees, reaching out to turn Nefertari over, all the while insisting to myself that this was not real, it couldn't possibly be real. That I would awake in a moment and find myself in my own bed, with Nefertari sleeping peacefully in my arms, not lying broken in the middle of the gardens. Not like this…

_Oh, merciful Amun-Ra, not like this…_

I drew her unresisting form into my arms. Her own arms trailed like a rag doll's. In the moonlight, her face was pale, terribly pale. Her lips too were white, bloodless. This was not some trick of the moonlight. This was real.

"Nefertari," I whispered gently, as I might to wake her from a deep sleep. She was only asleep, that was all.

So why was my heart about to burst with fear?

"Nefertari," I said again, and this time my voice cracked with urgency. I reached out and tapped her cheek gently, urgently. Her skin was so cold. So cold…

_Please, Amun-Ra, not her, not now. Dear gods, not her! Nefertari, open your eyes! Wake up! Open your eyes!_

It was then I saw it, the stain blooming darkly across her chest, the linen of her nightdress soaking it up like papyrus soaks up ink. The stain spread, across her chest and down, almost to her belly. Dreading, I put my hand to it and my fingers came away wet, and red.

I was falling. There was only darkness around me, a roaring in my ears, the blood on my fingers. The blood. Oh, dear gods, no! My Nefertari, pierced to the heart!

My eyes were hot. My head was spinning. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know anything, nothing but the pale figure lying in my arms.

Pierced to the heart. _Pierced to the heart!_

"No…" I whispered my denial. "No… Nefertari…" I began shaking her by the shoulder, desperate, despairing. "Nefertari, it's me, Atem. Please hear me."

_Please hear me…_

Nefertari couldn't die. She was too young, too sweet, too innocent. What had she done to deserve _this_?

_Dear gods, why her! Why her, why her, WHY HER!?_

I heard it as if from far away, a pained whisper around my name. "Atem…?"

Seized by a combination of hope and hopelessness, I raised my head. My eyes were hot, my gaze fractured, but I dragged my hand across my eyes, trying to sweep the illusion away with my tears. Only it was no illusion. Her lips had parted, her eyelids fluttering as if they would open. Then they did, and for a moment, my heart leapt. She lived! But the relief and the joy, the died as soon as I saw that her eyes, once bright green, were dim, and a glaze was slowly spreading across them like a frost.

_No. No, she is alive! She cannot die! Now now!_

She was breathing harshly, her breath coming in erratic gasps disturbed by the shivering of her body. Her lips moved soundlessly, desperate to speak. She took a deep breath as if gathering her strength, a valiant attempt to speak. "Atem…"

I shook my head, unable to think, not daring to think. "No," I said, laying one finger gently over her lips. "Hush, my love. Save your strength. I'll take you to the physician. Everything is going to be fine."

But Nefertari was shaking her head, quick, jerking movements, each weaker than the last. She was fading fast, faster than I could catch her. So fast, too fast…

"Atem…" Her voice was barely a breath.

"No, love. Don't speak."

Her hand was laying in mine, her fingers curled around mine, weak as a baby. "I… I must tell you…"

But I shook my head. "No, none of that. Please, Nefertari, hold on."

A gasping sob. "I'm so cold. I… I can hardly see."

My heart clenched. "No, Nefertari. I'm here," I said, holding her even closer to me. It was clear to me that she was in great pain, and I wanted to do everything I could to comfort her. And myself. "You'll be fine, I promise."

A smile shadowed her white face. Through her dry, fading breaths, she managed to whisper, "You shouldn't… make promises you can't… keep…"

"No…" I wanted to lift her, to take her somewhere safe, to the palace physician, to Shimon, anyone that could help.

But I was too scared to move her. And somewhere, in the darkest part of myself, I knew that nothing they did could help Nefertari now. Even my own desperate lies couldn't convince me.

"Nefertari," I was begging now. Begging her to live, begging the gods to let her live. "Please, my love, stay with me. I can't lose you. It's too soon. We have too much still to do, too much to do together."

Her head turned, her dimmed eyes finding mine, and the love I saw there left me speechless. The love, and the sadness."

"I know," she breathed. "And I'm sorry… But… know this, my love…" Her breath rasped in her chest. I could _feel_ her life force ebbing away. "I have no regrets…" she smiled, a single tear trickling from her eye. "Not that I got… to see your face… once more time…"

Then suddenly, her smile faded and her breath left her in one, whispered name.

"Atem…"

For a long time, I simply stared at her face, her beauty. At first, I thought that she could have been sleeping, but after a moment, I finally realised that she was gone. And when I did, even the soft, thick curtain of her hair couldn't muffle my grief.

For what seemed an eternity, I just kneeled where I was, tears streaming endlessly from my eyes as I clutched Nefertari's still form to my chest. I couldn't believe it. She was gone. Nefertari, my Nefertari, my wife, she was really gone. And I, her husband, had been unable to prevent her from suffering such a cruel fate.

I was brought round from my grief stricken trance by a scuffling sound just ahead of me. I looked up, barely seeing the figure in front of me through my tears at first, but soon my vision cleared and I was met with the sight of Shepset, just standing and staring back at me. Shock had frozen her features, grief had swept away the smile that so usually brightened her face. I heard her whisper only one, stricken word: "No…"

Then she was running, running back towards the palace, screaming with her whole voice, her words lost in her screams and sobs. Lights were beginning to come on in the windows, and more voices were beginning to join Shepset's.

"Queen Nefertari… _dead_!"

"Queen Nefertari has been murdered!"

Finally forcing myself to loosen my grip on my wife's now lifeless body, I lifted her, gently, tenderly, carrying her back, away from the cold, dark garden, back to where the lights were. If only one could light itself in her heart, bring her back to life. But nothing could. She was beyond all help, gone to a place I could not follow. Our wedding, mere weeks before, was supposed to have bound our lives together.

But why didn't it? Why were we ripped apart so easily?

There were only questions. So many questions, and no one to give me any answers.

When I reached the main hall of the palace, I found it roiling with activity, like an ant hill that had been overturned. Guards, servants, nobles… all running about like frightened mice. But all soon feel silent when they saw me. I saw Seto, Mahad, Mana, Shimon, Isis, Tefankh and Nekhbet. Some eyes were shining with tears, but most showed nothing. The shock must've been too great for them. It must've been too much. I even heard the sounds of cries and laments in some parts of the throne room.

"Oh, how awful!"

"This is terrible. Terrible!"

"Who could've done this?"

"Our beautiful queen!"

Just then, I heard a familiar voice calling to me. "Pharaoh! Pharaoh!"

I turned to face the direction the voice was coming from, and saw the Lady Meretseger rushing up to me, her refined beauty dishevelled and her eyes wild. Reaching me, she finally stopped.

"Pharaoh, I'm so sorry…" she panted, a look of shock and despair in her eyes, just like everyone else. "I saw someone running from the scene of the crime, but I was unable to catch them, or even identify them. Please, forgive me, Pharaoh," she cried, bowing before me.

"No need to trouble yourself, my lady," I simply said to her before going to take Nefertari from the throne room.

"But, wait, there's more!" she exclaimed, grabbing me by the arm, causing me to stop. "I saw them running off with the queen's Scarab pendant!"

_(Flashback end)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Bing bong!_

_Attention, all passengers. This is your flight attendant speaking. We have now landed at Domino Airport. We would like to thank you for flying British Airways and we look forward to having you onboard with us again in the future. Please make sure you have all your luggage and personal belongings with you when alighting from this plane. Have a nice trip!_

I honestly could not tell you the excitement I felt when finally arriving at our destination. After the flight attendant had finished her announcement, I was already on my feet, ready to get my suitcase from the shelf above us. Though I grew very agitated as I waited for the person who was seated across the isle from me already in said isle getting their own luggage. It seemed to me that they were taking their sweet time in bringing their suitcase down, whilst a certain someone here was eager to get off this plane and begin the trip that she had been waiting for for weeks!

Finally they were away, and I was finally able to get into the isle and bring my own suitcase down and quickly make my way down the isle towards the front of the plane, my own party barely managing to follow closely behind.

After finally getting off the plane, the journey through the airport was a little aggravating. It was horrifically crowded, and because none of us had ever been in this particular airport before, we quickly found that we were lost. However, it wasn't long before we spotted some stalls which thankfully had some handy airport maps and were able to zigzag our way through the busy airport until finally, we had emerged from the main entrance. When we did, my breath instantly seemed to have been taken away as I looked at the city all around me.

"We're here…" I said, unable to contain my amazement. "I can't believe it. We're actually finally here!"

"Yes, Iona," Kirsten smiled as she came up to me and put her hand on my shoulder just as I was about to jump up and down with excitement. "We are finally in Domino City."

Domino City. The location for one of the past tournaments of the card game that is one of my passions.

I had been a fan of the popular Duel Monsters game for as long as I could remember. Of course, back when I first got into it, it was just another card game until just a few years ago, when they started doing tournaments for it that my love for it really grew stronger. I was a huge admirer of a few of the champions and spent most of my free time practicing my strategies for it, hoping to one day become a major Duel Monsters legend myself. Of course, most of my practices consisted on playing the game with members of my family, who were rather reluctant since I usually beat them at the games. They always jokingly accused me of cheating, but I guess what the real reason was that I was the only one who had a decent understanding to the rules of the game.

Recently however, my parents surprised me with an announcement that they were saving up for a trip to Domino City for me, as they knew that that was the location for Battle City, one of the recent major Duel Monsters tournaments. They were supposed to have the money all saved up in time for my fifteenth birthday, which was about a few months before. Unfortunately though, some repairs had to be made to our home, which they had to pay for using some of the money they had saved up for my trip. However, after making that payment, they immediately started saving that money again, and they eventually had enough to help pay for said trip. Plane tickets, the hotel bill, and plenty of spare money for any souvenirs we'd probably want to buy while we were here. Although my parents would be remaining at home back in Scotland, I would not be making this trip alone. Accompanying me was my big sister, Kirsten and two of my cousins, Beverley and Rachel.

For a moment, I continued to look round in amazement at the wondrous city in front of me, trying to get it to sink in that I was finally in the very place I had been looking forward to visiting for ages until I snapped out of my blissful trance and turned back to my companions. "Right, so, now that we're here, what should we do first?" I asked cheerfully.

"I… think we'd better check in at our hotel and drop off our luggage there before we do any sightseeing, Iona," my sister reminded me.

"Oh, yes, of course," I giggled awkwardly. "How silly of me. All right, let's do that."

Jumping into one of the taxis parked outside the airport, we were then driven off to Domino Hotel, were we had been booked for the next month. Whilst my companions talked and joked amongst themselves, I just stared out of the window for the duration of the journey, gazing at the ever passing buildings, still unable to believe that the metropolis I had just entered was Domino City.

Thankfully, the journey wasn't that long and we soon arrived at our destination. As soon as Kirsten had payed the driver, we got out, took our luggage from the boot of the taxi and entered into the building as the vehicle drove off. The lobby was rather small and of a simple modern design, with a few sofas here and there, a couple of elevators with glass doors ahead of us, and of course, the reception desk, which we immediately made our way towards.

"Two twin rooms under McCulloch, please?" asked Kirsten upon reaching the receptionist, taking out the sheet of paper with our booking confirmation which my dad had printed out for us prior to our departure.

Looking at the document placed in front of her, the receptionist typed away on her computer for a few minutes before a satisfied smile appeared on her face. "Okay!" she piped cheerfully, handing us two room keys. "Second floor, first two rooms to your left."

"Thank you very much," Kirsten smiled back before the four of us left and went into one of the elevators at the back of the lobby.

When we reached the second floor, we followed the receptionist's directions and entered left corridor, stopping immediately our rooms. Kirsten and I were booked into one twin room, whilst Beverley and Rachel were booked into the other.

"I'm thinking we should probably get settled here first before we go anywhere," Kirsten said as we reached the doors to our assigned rooms. "Shall Iona and I give you girls a knock when we're ready for some sightseeing?"

"Yeah, sure! No problem," replied Beverley, nodding.

"Aw, Kirsten, do we have to?" I whined. "I've been looking forward to this trip for ages!"

"I know, Iona," answered Kirsten. "But we'll only be a few minutes, I promise."

"Well… okay," I replied reluctantly, as Kirsten unlocked the door to our room and went in. "Meet you two back out here in a shortly!" I said to my cousins as I followed my sister inside.

"See ya!" Beverley answered as she and Rachel went into their own room.

After we had dumped our suitcases at the little desk across the room from our beds, I just flung myself onto the bed closest to the door, arms outstretched and staring up towards the white ceiling. "So what shall we do for the next few minutes before we can go out?" I asked.

"Well, it might be an idea to text Mum and Dad and let them know we've arrived at the hotel," Kirsten suggested.

"Oh, yeah, that's right!" I said, sitting up and taking my little pink phone out of my pocket. Switching it on, I then began to press the various keys to send the following message to my dad: _That's us at the hotel now._

_Okay. Keep in touch_, came his own message about thirty seconds later.

_Will do_, I texted back. Placing my phone back into my pocket, I then went over to the window and leaned against the sill, staring out to the city outside. Even after about twenty minutes, I still couldn't get it to sink in that we had finally arrived here. It honestly felt to me like a dream come true.

"Right, shall we get going now?" I soon heard my sister say behind me.

"Hm?" I asked, looking back towards her. "Oh, yes! Let's go!" I piped excitedly, rushing over to get my phone from the chest of drawers between the two beds where I had placed it. Putting it back into my pocket, I got my little red handbag before practically skipping towards the door, Kirsten following suit after getting her own black bag.

Once back out in the corridor, I went over to the door leading to our cousins' room and knocked.

"Just coming!" I heard Beverley calling from within.

Kirsten and I only waited about a minute or two until the doors opened and Beverley and Rachel emerged, smiling brightly as they did so.

"That us ready to go then?" asked Beverley.

Nodding in reply, we all began to make our way towards the elevators again, me walking quickly ahead of my three companions as usual, being the one most eager to see this place. Finally reaching the ground floor, we went back over to the reception desk, where Kirsten picked up a map of Domino City before we all stepped out of the entrance and back into the city.

"Right, where shall we go first?" asked Kirsten, unfolding the map and beginning to look through it.

"I'm not that bothered to be honest," I answered my sister. "I'm just eager to see this city already!"

"Hmm… girls?" Kirsten asked again, turning to our cousins, who both shrugged.

"I'm game for anything," Beverley simply said.

"Yeah, me too," replied Rachel.

"All right, let's get going!" I said, eager to just get this sightseeing done.

And with that, Kirsten led us away into Domino City at long last.

There wasn't much to see in the city of course, but I didn't care. I was just so excited to see it. Though despite how little there was in the way of tourist attractions, we still managed to do quite a lot. We went to the mall to do a bit of shopping for amazing clothes and accessories, then we went to the arcade and played some really cool games there. My cousins were quite the pros on the dance machines, while Kirsten and I stuck to the table games, but we finished up with a game of tenpin bowling, played by all of us. After leaving the arcade, we all got ice cream at a nearby kiosk and just sat in the city plaza for a while, chatting and watching kids and teenagers round our age duelling each other with their holographic duel discs. I couldn't help but smile as I watched them, as it reminded me of my own enthusiasm for Duel Monsters.

Shortly after that, as we were strolling through the city once more, I was stopped when a poster in a shop window caught my eye.

"Oh, my God, you guys!" I cried immediately. "Look! It's him!"

Having obviously heard my gleeful exclamation, my companions also stopped and turned back to face me. The poster which had caught my attention contained images of the two most famous Duel Monsters champions in the world; Seto Kaiba… and Yugi Moto.

I sighed as I leaned against the glass, just staring starry-eyed at the poster in front of me. "Isn't he just dreamy…?"

Yes, you could say that it was due to the fact that it was an incredibly fun game and that Kaiba Corporation had developed some really awesome holographic systems to enrich the experience of it that I was really into the Duel Monsters game. However, truth be told, it was Yugi Moto really who inspired me to develop my gaming skills in hopes to one day become a master duellist. I guess you could say he was my celebrity crush. Kirsten however was a bigger admirer of Kaiba's herself, and I have to say that he is good looking enough, but I always found his stuck-up and egotistical nature to be rather off putting. Yugi, on the other hand, really was the _true_ Duel Monsters star, the _true_ King of Games. Not just because of the fact that he was the best duellist in the world, but also the way he duelled with such confidence and that he held such an honourable demeanour. I could really tell that he wasn't just an amazing duellist, and he was also a very compassionate person with a heart of gold. Those, along with those beautiful deep purple eyes of his and the way he always looked so brave and determined during his duels, were the things about him that attracted me so to him. Really, what was there not to love?

"All right, come on, sis!" Kirsten said, grabbing me by the short sleeve of my pink t-shirt and dragging me back along the street. "Let's get going. We didn't come all the way here just for you to stare at pictures of Yugi Moto all day everyday."

As much as I wanted to protest, my sister did have a point. So I reluctantly allowed her to lead me away from the poster of my duelling crush and the four of us were quickly on our way through the city again.

We soon decided we would wrap up the day with a visit to the museum. Having been interested in certain parts of world history all our lives, Kirsten and I usually visited museums wherever we went. It might not have been as magnificent or as impressive as the British Museum in London, which I had been to before, but it still had some really cool and interesting stuff on display. The four of us went round all the rooms in the museum and took pictures of just about everything we saw that impressed us. Prehistoric bones, skulls and fossils, well preserved objects found in the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, Viking weaponry, chests of old treasure taken from captured pirate ships, and some pretty wacky looking machines from the Victorian era. Some of the more sombre displays contained lost personal items salvaged from the wreck of the RMS _Titanic_ and old artillery and helmets from the First World War that were recovered from one of the old battlefields.

Having saved the best for last, we finished our visit in the room of ancient Egypt, the time period which always interested me the most, ever since I was a little girl. So, as is the case with every museum I had ever visited before, this was definitely my favourite room. I was barely able to contain my excitement as I zipped around all the exhibits, not even caring on whether or not I was using up the remainder of my phone's memory by taking tons upon tons of pictures of them all. Ushabti figures taken from various ancient tombs, scrolls containing protective burial spells, Canopic jars, some really beautiful glass crockery of different colours, plenty of gorgeous jewellery, and even the mummies in their sarcophaguses! I just loved everything I saw in that room. No matter how hard I tried, I could never ever get enough of being surrounded by artefacts all the way back from ancient Egypt.

Our visit now finished, we all agreed to pay a visit to the museum's gift shop before heading back to the hotel. Rachel browsed the shelves of various themed ornaments, Beverley was looking through all the cool t-shirts, Kirsten was reading through some of the history books she had found, and I was scanning the jewellery stack in search of something pretty to buy myself. Jewellery is also another great interest of mine. I had never really cared much for fashion or anything of the sort, but I always loved jewellery and would often treat myself to a nice looking pair of earrings or necklace that I'd see whenever browsing the shops back home.

The jewellery stand had some really nice looking Roman earrings, Celtic torcs and Aztec beaded bracelets, but of course, what I was most keen to get was some really cool Egyptian stuff. For a while, I stood there, looking at all the cat statue necklaces and scarab rings, a rather disappointingly small variety, trying to decide on what to get myself.

"I see you have a fascination for Egyptian jewellery," I suddenly heard a deep male voice say in what sounded like an Eastern accent behind me.

Somewhat startled, I immediately turned in the direction the voice came from and found myself face to face with a middle aged man with tanned skin and long, black hair with a light moustache of the same colour. Because of the black uniform he was wearing, I immediately assumed him to be the proprietor of the museum's gift shop, and yet, despite that, he seemed to have a mysterious demeanour about him.

"Uh, yeah, you could say that," I answered him, nodding. "In fact, I'm fascinated with both things separately, ancient Egypt _and_ jewellery, so the two of them put together is like one of the best things ever in my opinion."

The man chuckled quietly. "You don't say."

"Yep," I replied, suddenly smiling. "So I'm always visiting the gift shops of every museum I visit to see if I can get my hands on any cool Egyptian jewellery like, oh I don't know, ankh earrings, a scarab necklace, a ring with the Eye of Horus, things like that."

"Is that so?" the man asked, putting his hand to his chin as if in deep interest. "Then I may have just the thing for you."

"What, really?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes," he said. "Come with me."

Looking round the gift shop, I saw that my relatives were still occupied with the various shop merchandise they were looking at, so I allowed this mysterious man to lead me into what I assumed with the storage room behind the counter. Closing the door behind us, he looked towards me with a serious expression on his face, which made me feel a little uneasy. He reached into his pocket and took out what looked to me like some red string. Though upon opening his hand and holding it out in front of me, I saw that it was a necklace with a strange looking pendant that resembled a golden winged scarab with a turquoise jewel in the middle. For a second I just looked at it in awe. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.

"Here," he said at last. "This is for you."

"Wow," I breathed, taking it from him. "That's really pretty. How much is it?"

"Oh no, my dear," replied the man, shaking his head. "You do not need to pay for it. It is yours."

I just looked up at him, surprised. "What, really?" I asked.

The man nodded.

"Oh… well, thank you!" I said, smiling brightly at this man's generosity. "Thank you very much!"

I walked round him again and was about to turn the knob on the door to go back out into the shop when the man spoke again. "But be warned, young lady."

"Hm?" I turned to look back at him, confused.

"What you now hold in your hand is more than just a mere necklace," he continued in an imperious tone.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"You will find out in due course," he answered. "But take my advise and guard that pendant with your life. You must never let it fall into the wrong hands, do you understand?"

"Um… yes, I do," I answered him, starting to get really weirded over how seriously he seemed to be taking this. I mean, what possible importance could a simple piece of jewellery like this have?

"Good," the man replied, seemingly satisfied that I understood him. "You may go now."

"Um, thank you," I said, turning the knob to open the door. "Bye."

I went back out into the shop and walked towards my companions who were waiting for me at the gift shop entrance, still really confused about what had just happened.

_Well, that was odd_, I thought to myself.

"What did that guy want?" asked Kirsten when I reached them.

"I… don't really know," I said, looking back towards the door behind the counter. "But he gave me this really cool necklace." I held out the necklace the man had just given me for my relatives to see.

As they all looked at awe at the piece of jewellery in my hand, Beverley gave out a loud, impressed whistle. "That's a really gorgeous necklace."

"Yeah," agreed Rachel. "How much did it cost you?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. He just… gave it to me."

"Oh well, that's good, isn't it?" said Beverley, seeming quite pleased. "You should put it on."

"What?" I asked. Then I pointed at the pink heart necklace I was already wearing. "But I'm already -"

"Oh, just try it on for a minute," Beverley insisted. "Come on, I wanna see how it looks on you."

"Yeah, go on!" said Rachel.

Looking round at the faces of my companions, I that they were all looking at me expectantly, and I could tell that they were all wanting me to put my new necklace on. So I just shrugged.

"Well, okay, if you guys insist," I muttered, giving in to them as I took off my old necklace and put the new one on in its place.

"Wow, Iona, it really suits you!" Beverley exclaimed in admiration.

"Yes, indeed it does," Kirsten replied, nodding in agreement.

Looking down at the pendant which now hung from around my neck, I couldn't help but smile proudly at the knowledge that I now owned an awesome Egyptian necklace and didn't even have to pay a single penny for it. Not that I would've minded having to buy it, of course. Still, I wondered why the man I had just spoken to would want to give it to me free of charge.

I was interrupted from my thoughts when a bright, blinding light suddenly flashed before my eyes. I grunted in pain as I held my arm over my eyes to shield them from the light. At first I wondered where it could've come from, but I was soon aware of it dimming down until I was able to open my eyes again. When I did, I was very surprised to see that my sister and my cousins were gone. Not only that, but I was no longer in Domino City Museum!

Instead, I now appeared to be in a dark, stone room. As I looked around in confusion as to how I could've gotten here, something quickly caught my eye. Looking towards one corner of the room, I saw what looked like two men sitting face to face at a small table. I stepped forward to get a better look at these men, but immediately stopped when I noticed to my immense surprise that one of them, the younger out of the two it seemed, looked exactly like Yugi Moto! He had the same tricoloured spiky hair and stern expression, and he even wore that strange looking upside down pyramid amulet adorned with the Eye of Horus which seemed to always be around his neck too! Though what was even more surprising was that his skin was of a darker tone than usual and he seemed to be dressed in some ancient Egyptian getup; a white tunic, a blue cloak and he was heavily bedecked in golden finery such as a diadem and arm and wristbands. Call me crazy, but he looked a bit like a pharaoh to me. Standing behind him was a short elderly man dressed in immaculate white robes. The older looking man sitting across the table was dressed entirely in blue and white robes and had a grey moustache. Though he didn't wear as much gold as the younger one did, I could sort of tell that he was a pharaoh also.

"Pharaoh Atem, I can understand your feelings of hostility at my inviting myself unexpectedly to your kingdom since I was after all your father's rival," said the older pharaoh. "But don't you think it's high time that we finally put an end to the needless conflict that had arisen between our two kingdoms these passed centuries and make peace with each other at long last?"

"Pained though I am at the thought of joining forces with my father's greatest enemy, I am certain that he still wanted nothing more than peace for the people of Egypt," replied the younger pharaoh, whose name was apparently Atem and not Yugi. "And I can see now that the only way to achieve that would be by joining our two kingdoms together. But tell me, Pharaoh Amenhotep, just how do you intend on doing so?"

Pharaoh Amenhotep smiled in reply. "Well, my lord, it just so happens that I have a daughter."

Pharaoh Atem's eyes narrowed in what looked like suspicion. "Go on…?"

Amenhotep chuckled lightly. "Well, I was thinking, Your Highness, that if I were to marry her to you, she would be your queen, and the two of you could rule the whole of Egypt together."

Atem just folded his arms. "And do you think your daughter will agree to this?" he asked. "Being betrothed to someone she hasn't even met?"

"Oh, I dare say that Nefertari may object at first when I approach her with the news," Amenhotep answered. "But I can assure you that when I explain to her that it's for the good of the people of Egypt, she will undoubtedly accept. You see, my daughter never approved of the wars our kingdoms had always waged with each other and has expressed to me countless times that she wished there was some way they could be at peace with one another. And what better way to fulfil the wishes of my daughter, the princess of Upper Egypt, than by wedding her to the current pharaoh of Lower Egypt? Come now, Your Majesty, what do you say?"

The room then feel silent for a moment and it looked to me like Atem was taking some time to consider the other pharaoh's offer.

"One moment, if you please," he said at last, standing from his seat and motioning for the small man behind him to follow him. They both went to the other end of the room and started whispering to each other. I assumed right that who Atem was speaking to must've been his advisor and they were discussing the offer made by the elder pharaoh who, as I looked back to him for a second, had his arms folded as he watched the pair, a confident smile on his face.

After a moment, the younger pharaoh had finally finished the conversation with his advisor and the two of them went back over to Amenhotep.

"Very well, Pharaoh Amenhotep, I accept your offer," Atem announced.

"Very good, Your Highness!" Amenhotep replied in rejoice, standing from his seat and holding his hand out to Atem, who took it and the two shook hands. "I can assure you that you will not regret this decision."

"Indeed, I will hold you to that," answered Atem, smiling now.

And with that, the image slowly started to fade until I was soon surrounded in total blackness. For a few seconds, there was total silence until I heard the sound of my sister calling me.

"Iona! Iona, wake up!"

I was then aware of my being shaken roughly by the shoulder and I groaned as I was forced to open my eyes. Wait, when did my eyes even close anyway? Anyway, my vision was slightly blurry at first, but it cleared after a couple of blinks and I soon saw Kirsten, Beverley and Rachel, all staring down at me with great concern on their faces.

"Oh, thank God, she's awake!" cried Rachel in relief.

"Uhh… What happened there…?" I asked in weary confusion, wondering how had ended up on my back on the floor of the museum.

"Oh, don't start, Iona," said Beverley as she and our sisters all helped me back onto my feet. "You fainted is all."

"I… I fainted?" I asked again, looking towards her in surprise.

"Yes, you did," she said. "Though what could've caused you to do is beyond me."

"Well, it doesn't matter now, so long as she's all right," Kirsten told her. Turning back to me, she then asked as she put her hand to my forehead, "Are you? All right?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine," I answered her, still very confused as to what had just happened. Then, for some reason, I felt the need to bring up the strange vision I had just seen. "I was having a funny dream. Yugi Moto was in it. Or at least someone who looked like him anyway. He was dressed like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. I think his name was Atem or something like that."

"Ooh, she was dreaming about Yugi Moto!" Beverley said teasingly, nudging her sister by the shoulder as the two of them grinned wildly at each other. As Rachel started to giggle hysterically, Beverley then turned back towards me. "So what happened in this dream of yours?"

I just shrugged my shoulders as I shook my head. "Well, not much, really," I told her. "Only he was discussing something with this other, older looking pharaoh. Something about joining their two kingdoms together if he married the older guy's daughter. I don't know. It was all very bizarre."

"Huh. Now that _is_ strange," Beverley agreed, putting her hand to her chin.

"Perhaps it's best that we all head back to the hotel now," Kirsten suggested.

"Yes, let's," agreed Rachel.

"All right then, girls," said Beverley. "Let's get going."

No more words needing to be said, the four of us immediately made our way towards the main entrance of the museum and stepped back outside, as I still pondered over everything that had just happened, trying in vain to make sense of it all. Who was the man who had given me that necklace? What was his purpose for doing so? Why did I pass out immediately after putting it on? And why would I end up dreaming about an ancient Egyptian version of Yugi Moto whilst unconscious? It all seemed very weird to me, but I could only hope that it would all make sense later on.


	4. Chapter 4

It had gotten slightly duller and a bit chillier as the four of us made our way through the streets of Domino City, indicating that evening was slowly approaching. I was giving myself a headache still trying to make sense of everything that had happened back at the museum, but was soon interrupted from my thoughts when a sudden breeze caused me to shiver. I took my magenta cardigan, which was originally my mum's, off from around my waist and had just put my arm through the first sleeve when my elder cousin Beverley nudged me roughly on the arm.

"Oh my God, Iona, look who it is!" she cried excitedly, pointing at someone across the road.

I looked along my cousin's line of vision and saw to my immense surprise that standing on the pavement across the road from us was wearing navy blue school uniform and that spiky, pink, black and blonde hair which I immediately recognised. He was shorter and looked somewhat younger than in the pictures and on TV, but I could still that this same person was none other than _Yugi Moto himself_! He was talking to three taller people, one of which I immediately recognised from his messy dirty blonde hair as Joey Wheeler, another well known duelist and reportedly Yugi's best friend. The other two was another boy with brown hair that seemed to be styled entirely in the one huge spike sticking out from the front of his head and a girl with short lighter brown hair. Of course, it didn't matter to me what Yugi Moto was doing or who he was with at that point; it was just so unbelievable to see him just standing there, in the flesh and just several steps away that all I could do was stand and stare, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"I can't believe it…" I breathed. "It's actually _him_!"

"Hey, Iona," I heard Kirsten say to me teasingly. "Why don't you go over and ask for his autograph?"

Snapping out of my awed trance, I turned to my sister and looked at her in disbelief at her suggestion. "Eh…?"

"Ooh, yes, good idea!" said Beverley enthusiastically. "Go on, Iona. You know you wanna."

"But…" I replied uncomfortably as I looked about the faces of my sister and cousins, who all grinned at me teasingly. Rachel even giggled at one point. "But I can't," I went on. "I mean, it's not polite, is it? Going up to somebody famous when they're just trying to go about their normal lives?"

"Aw, polite, schmolite!" Kirsten scoffed, shoving her small black notebook and pen which she normally carried abound with her at me. "This could be your only chance at ever meeting your duelling crush."

"Exactly," Rachel agreed. Pushing me gently towards the road, she went on. "On you go! Quick! Before he goes away!"

For a second, I hesitated. Of course I wanted to go over and meet him. I had been dreaming of at least having just one meeting with him ever since hearing of his first defeat over former Duel Monsters champion Seto Kaiba. But finally seeing him in real life made me so nervous that I remained frozen in place for a short moment. However, I felt the insistent gazes of my companions on me, so I finally gave in. Taking a couple of looks left and right to make sure there was no traffic approaching, I ran across the road towards the spiky-haired champion duellist.

"All right, so I'll see you guys later, then," I heard him say to his friends as I slowly approached him. Another difference I noticed about him then was that his voice was nowhere near as deep as what I recognised from TV. Not that that would be any reason for me to complain of course.

"Yeah, see you later!" his friends all piped as they turned and left the scene. I took that as my queue.

"Excuse me," I said shyly as I came round to face him, finally catching his attention. "Do I… recognise you?"

"Probably," he replied with a slight laugh. "People tend to recognise my face better than their own."

"Uh… sure," I answered, before holding out the notebook and pen to him. "Could I… have your autograph, please?"

"Oh, sure," Yugi chirped, taking the items off me and proceeding to write his name down on the front page of the notebook. "You're not from here, are you?" he asked, obviously noticing my accent.

"Hm?" I was just so in awe from being in his presence that it took me a few seconds for his question to sink in. "Oh! Oh no, as a matter of fact, I'm not…" I said, blushing slightly with embarrassment. "I'm from Scotland."

"Scotland, huh?" Yugi repeated, nodding his head as if in interest. "That's really cool. I've heard it's a really nice place."

"Yeah, well… the scenery's pretty enough, but the weather could use a little improvement," I joked with him, suddenly feeling more confident about speaking with him.

Yugi laughed again in response, obviously catching my joke before saying, "Oh well, I guess you gotta take the rough with the smooth sometimes. So what brings you here anyway?"

"Oh, I'm on vacation," I told him. "Of course, I'm not here alone. My sister and my cousins came with me," I motioned over to my companions still waiting for me across the road. "My parents are paying for the plane tickets and hotel bill too."

"Oh. You been here long, then?" he asked again.

"Uh, no," I answered, shaking my head. "We just arrived here this afternoon."

"I see," Yugi replied. Then, clearly just remembering the notebook and pen in his hands, he handed them both back to me. "Here you go."

"Oh, thank you," I answered, taking them back off him. Then, looking at the name he signed on the front page, I began jumping up down with excitement. "I knew it!" I cried exuberantly. "You're Yugi Moto!"

Yugi just chuckled. "Was there ever any doubt?" he asked, still smiling.

"Well, I… I wasn't entirely sure, cuz you looked so different on TV," I explained to him, finding myself overcome with awe again at remembering just who it was I was talking to. "But it really is you! Wow! I am such a big fan of yours!"

"Oh, you are?" Yugi asked, now smiling in a flattered manner.

"Yeah!" I answered enthusiastically. "I mean, why wouldn't I be? You're like the best duellist in the world! Ever since I heard about your defeat over Seto Kaiba, I watched all the televised tournaments you took part in. Duellist Kingdom, Battle City, and er… what was that other, more recent one again?"

"The Kaiba Corp Grand Championship?" Yugi reminded me helpfully.

"Oh, you were great!" I cried again. "God, you are so awesome! In fact you're the reason why I'm here in the first place!"

"I am?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah," I answered, feeling a blush coming on. "I've always been quite the Duel Monsters enthusiast, but it was you who inspired me to train to one day become a master duellist too!"

Yugi chuckled again, a blush of his own beginning to show up on his cheeks. "Well, I'm flattered. And I'll bet you spend most of your free time practicing your game skills, Miss… uh…"

I gasped, it suddenly occurring to me that I still hadn't introduced myself. "Ohhh!" I wailed, putting both hands on the sides of my face. "Where the hell are my manners? God, I'm so sorry about that." Trying to smile through my embarrassment, I held my hand out to him. "My name's Iona. Iona McCulloch."

Yugi smiled again, taking my hand and shaking it. "It's a real pleasure to meet you, Iona," he said. "And even more so to learn that I'm such a huge duelling inspiration to somebody."

"Hee hee hee…" I giggled, scratching the back of my head modestly. "Well, you are correct in assuming that most of my free time goes to practicing my duelling skills. My family are the unfortunate guinea pigs on which I try out various strategies."

"Wow, you're really enthusiastic about becoming a master duellist one day, aren't you?" Yugi stated, seeming genuinely impressed. "Well, I'm sure you will be with all the rigorous training you're doing. Hey, you may even one day defeat me in a duel and become the next world champion."

"Oh, Yugi…" I breathed dreamily. "It would be such an honour to duel you one day. Though, of course, I think that ever defeating you would be very unlikely. In fact, I'm sure you'd wipe the floor with me, especially with those extremely powerful Egyptian god cards in your deck."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," he said encouragingly. "Just have a little bit of faith in yourself and you're sure to achieve anything. That's what won me all those duels in the first place."

"Really…?" I asked in amazement. "Wow…"

Yugi smiled again and then, as if suddenly noticing something else about me, he pointed. "I see you're quite the enthusiast for ancient Egypt too."

"Hm?" Looking down, I remembered the strange winged scarab necklace which was given to me back at the museum. "Oh, yeah, you could say that. In fact, ancient Egypt has always been a great interest of mine, ever since I was very little."

"Nice," Yugi answered, impressed. "I'm really quite interested in ancient Egypt too."

"Really?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah," he replied. "In fact, that's where my Millennium Puzzle came from." He held up his golden upside-down pyramid amulet, which hung from a chain around his neck.

"Huh… Millennium Puzzle," I repeated, taking a closer look at it. "So that's what it's called. It's very cool."

"Thanks," smiled Yugi. "My grandpa found it in the tomb of an ancient pharaoh during a trip to Egypt when he was younger."

I then looked back up at Yugi in surprise, remembering the dream I had back at the museum in which I saw that pharaoh who looked just like him wearing his Millennium Puzzle. However, he distracted me from my amazement by continuing.

"He gave it to me when I was a kid and kinda dared me to solve it. It took me eight years to do so."

"Eight years!?" I asked in astonishment. "Geez, I would've given up after a few days."

"Not if you were to have a little bit of faith in yourself, like I said before," Yugi said, winking. "So what about you? Where did you get that necklace from?"

"Oh, from the museum," I told him, pointing my thumb in the direction I had just come from with my companions. "Strangely enough, the gift shop's proprietor insisted on giving it to me for free."

"He didn't charge you for it?" Yugi asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

I shook my head. "Nope," I answered him. "And to make things even weirder, he started acting all serious about and told me to guard it with my life."

"Huh, now that is weird," Yugi agreed, putting his hand to his chin. "Still, it's a really cool piece of jewellery all the same, especially for someone with such a great interest in ancient Egypt."

I just giggled. "Thanks."

Just then, Yugi flinched slightly and took hold of his Millennium Puzzle, looking down at it with what looked like slight worry in his eyes.

"Is something wrong, Yugi?" I asked him.

"It's…" he trailed off, before looking back up at me. His smile then returned to his face as he shook his head. "It's nothing for you to worry about."

"Oh… Well, whatever that was, I hope everything's all right," I told him, genuinely somewhat concerned about what could've caused him to react like that.

"Thanks," Yugi answered.

"Well, I guess I'd better go now," I said to him. "Sorry to have bothered you."

"Oh no, it's okay," Yugi said, shaking his head again. "It was actually a pleasant surprise to meet one of my fans, and I really enjoyed that talk we just had."

I laughed lightly. "Well, I'm glad. But all the same, I have a trip to get back to, just as you have a life to get back to as well." Then, holding up the notebook, I smiled as I said to him, "Thank you for this. I'll treasure it."

"No problem," Yugi smiled back. "Good luck with your Duel Monsters training."

"Aw, thank you," I replied, blushing again. "Well, I'm off," I said, turning and then starting to run back across the road to rejoin my companions. "Bye!" I called back to him, waving.

"See you later!" Yugi called back.

Finally getting back onto the pavement, I turned back to face Yugi and watched him for a few moments as he made his way up the street. I sighed dreamily, unable to take my eyes away from the spiky head of tricoloured hair until it finally vanished out of site. True he wasn't the same stern and courageous duellist I recognised from TV, but I was still aware that it was the same Yugi Moto. And yet, just seeing and speaking to this real life version of him, just seemed to make my feelings for him grow a little bit too. He was just so sweet and so polite. I was just in the midst of telling myself that I ought to snap out of this lovesick trance, that that was very likely the only time I'd ever get to meet him, when I was aware of someone coming up behind me.

"By the way, we were watching that the whole time," I heard Kirsten say teasingly as she, Beverley and Rachel all came back into view, grinning wildly at me. "'Oh, Yugi, you're so wonderful! I'm such a big fan of yours!'" she went on, clasping her hands together in mock admiration, clearly imitating me while speaking with Yugi.

"'Oh, Yugi, it would be such an honour to duel you one day!'" Beverley added in, placing both her hands over her chest.

"'Thank you for the autograph. I'll treasure it.'" imitated Rachel, putting her hands on both sides of her face.

And with that, all three of my companions burst out into fits of hysterical laughter, causing me to blush furiously.

"All right, girls, that's enough!" I said to them, grimacing in my embarrassment as I began to walk away from them. "Come on, let's get back to the hotel!"

"Aw, come on, Iona!" cried Kirsten, still wiping tears from her eyes from her mirth.

"Yeah, we were just kidding is all!" shouted Beverley, still giggling as the three of them ran up behind me in order to catch up with me as we all continued on our way back to the hotel.

~*~*~*~

It was already dark by the time I had gotten back home, to the Kame Game Shop. All the while, I was unable to stop thinking about the events which had just occurred. Meeting that girl who proclaimed to be one of my biggest fans and who wore that Egyptian necklace, her story about how the guy who had given it to her told her to guard it with her life and then the sudden feeling of the Pharaoh's depression getting worse. I couldn't help but feel that it couldn't have been a coincidence, and yet it only seemed to raise further questions in my mind. Why did her necklace seem so important to the person who had given it to her? Could it have been some sort of ancient relic, just like the Millennium Items? And yet, could it have had something to do with the Pharaoh's past life too?

Of all the questions that were now swimming through my head, I could not seem to find an answer for a single one of them. I really wasn't sure if I was any closer to or further from knowing the reason behind the Pharaoh's sudden meltdown back at Egypt and his not coming back out to talk to me again for weeks. Ever since I first solved the Millennium Puzzle and connected with his spirit, I was not only able to sense all of his emotions, but I could also hear his thoughts too. But after his refusal to go through the door to the spirit world, it seemed he had somehow cut his thoughts from me, so now I was only able to know what he was feeling. Only this time, I didn't know what it was that was causing him to feel the way he did now. And now, just sensing his feelings of despair worsening while speaking to that girl only seemed to make me worry about him even more.

Reaching the front door to my home, I turned the handle and opened it before walking inside. "Grandpa, I'm home!" I called out as I closed the door behind me.

My grandpa came in from the back of the shop just then. "Oh, hello, Yugi," he said when he saw me. "How was your day?"

"It was… fine, I guess," I answered him, not really looking at him as I walked towards the door behind the counter which led to our apartment.

"You guess?" asked my grandpa. "Did something happen today, Yugi?"

I just sighed. "Well, I met this girl today, who said that she was a big fan of mine," I began to explain to him. "As I spoke with her, I noticed she was wearing this really weird necklace. I was sure it was Egyptian, because it looked an awful lot like a winged scarab. She said she had gotten it from the museum, but the proprietor warned her to guard it with her life. It was also during my conversation with her that I sensed the Pharaoh's sadness getting worse."

"Hmm…" my grandpa put his hand to his chin.

"Grandpa, do you think that girl's necklace could've been connected to the Pharaoh somehow?" I asked him.

"It's possible," he answered me. Turning to face me again, he went on, "I mean, it's not as if the Millennium Items are the _only_ powerful ancient Egyptian artefacts in the world. Remember the sorcerer Anubis and his Pyramid of Light?"

I nodded, remembering all too well that whole insanity which revolved around that evil lord. "That's what I was thinking too, about the possibility of her necklace being another ancient artefact from the Pharaoh's past. But why would it cause him to feel worse about whatever it was that made him go into this deep depression anyway?"

"I couldn't possibly tell you, Yugi," he said, shaking his head apologetically. "But I still have a feeling that it may be the key we need to unlock that one final part of the Pharaoh's past. I take it he still hasn't come back out to speak to you about it?"

It was my turn to shake my head then. "No, he hasn't, and to tell you the truth, Grandpa, I'm getting more and more worried about him the longer he continues to shut himself away inside the Puzzle like this."

"Then that may no longer be an option," Grandpa stated. "Yugi, if you ever bump into that girl again, I suggest that you invite her back here. Then we can contact the Ishtars, show them her necklace and see if they can tell us anything about it and if it holds some connection to the Pharaoh somehow. It's a long shot, but I reckon it'd be worth a try to find out more about the Pharaoh's former life."

"Good idea," I agreed. "But I just wish the Pharaoh would come out and tell me about it himself."

Grandpa nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'm gonna head upstairs now," I said, continuing on my way to the back of the shop. "See you up there later for dinner."

"Okay, Yugi," my grandfather called back to me as I ascended the stairs and entered our apartment.

Going into my room, I switched the light on and removed my backpack before tossing it down next to my desk. Sitting down on my bed, I took hold of the Millennium Puzzle in both hands and stared down at it, my concern for my spirit friend growing more and more by the second.

_Pharaoh, please talk to me_, I thought desperately, hoping that he would hear my mental pleas. _Tell me what it is that's upsetting you._


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, I had severe difficulty in getting to sleep. Not just because of the excitement of having arrived in Domino City hours before, or of suddenly meeting Yugi Moto out of nowhere. It was because of what he said about his Millennium Puzzle being found in the tomb of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Especially with how it coincided with the dream I had after passing out in the museum, about the pharaoh who looked so much like him, or at least the way he did on TV, and even wore his Puzzle around his neck too. Even now, as I lay there in that dark hotel room, listening to Kirsten's breathing as she slept in the bed opposite mine, I was _still _trying to make sense of it all, wondering now and then if I was just going crazy. I soon began to think that I eventually _would _lose my mind, if I hadn't done so already, as the same questions that swam though my head all day since the incident at the museum continued to do so.

Looking towards the red numbers on the digital alarm clock on the chest of drawers next to my bed, the only thing I could see in this pitch black room, I saw that the time read 2:30 a.m.

_Oh, come on, Iona! _I screamed in my head. _You have to try and get to sleep now if you want to be up in time for some more site seeing tomorrow!_

Though as much as I wanted to, I just couldn't seem to get the excitement about the trip to come back to me. At that moment, the only thing on my mind was everything that had happened today. It all just didn't seem to make any sense to me at all, and no matter how hard I tried, I was just plain unable to make it make sense as well, and it was all gonna bother me for a very long time to come. Or so I thought…

Eventually, I felt my eyelids beginning to get heavier, as an indication that sleep was finally approaching and I soon let myself drift off into an even deeper darkness than that in the room, the darkness of sleep. However, I was soon aware of a piece of that darkness beginning to disperse beneath my feet, and as I looked down, I saw that very same pharaoh from my previous dream yet again! Only this time, he was seated upon a golden throne flanked by twin lion-headed statues, surrounded by six other people, who all seemed to also possess a golden item adorned with the same Wadjet Eye symbol as on his Puzzle. Looking at them all, I saw to my immense surprise that the youngest of them, whose item looked an awful lot like a rod, bore a strong resemblance to Seto Kaiba!

_Okay, this is getting just a _little _but too weird for me now_, I thought to myself.

Well, it was. Why would I have a second dream about this pharaoh who looked like Yugi Moto, only this time for him to be accompanied by someone who looked exactly like his duelling rival, Seto Kaiba? But as I was about to find out, I hadn't seen _nothing _yet.

Noticing some movement out of the corner of my eye, I turned and saw the same small, elderly man who I also recognised from the previous dream stepping up towards the throne and bowed low before his monarch.

"My liege," he announced. "Pharaoh Amenhotep and his daughter, Princess Nefertari."

Pharaoh Amenhotep and Princess Nefertari. Those were the two names I also remembered hearing in my last dream. However, I didn't really have much time to think any more about it, for as the small man stepped aside, the other older pharaoh came into view, leading by the hand a girl wearing a long, white linen dress who I knew right away to be this Princess Nefertari who was his daughter. As they both bowed courteously before they spiky-haired pharaoh, I took a good look at the princess and was immediately taken aback by her appearance.

_That's the princess!? _I gasped mentally. _But… but that's me!_

And could you blame me for thinking that? Granted that she looked a little bit older than me, her brown hair was longer than mine, and her eyes were of a darker shade of green, there was still no doubt in my mind that I was looking at an ancient Egyptian version of myself! I honestly felt as though I was looking in the mirror at that point, her resemblance to me was just that strong! And if that wasn't freaky enough, I then took a look at the jewellery she was wearing and was even more amazed to see that she was wearing the _exact _same necklacethat I got from the museum today!

_No way!_ I cried in my head at that moment, just staring at the scarab pendant around the princess' neck.

I was quickly brought back from my astonishment when I heard her father speak at last. "Your Highness," he proclaimed to the younger pharaoh sitting before him. "I present to you my beloved daughter, Nefertari. May she find favour in your eyes."

"This is indeed an honour," replied the younger pharaoh, again in that deeper, more masculine voice which I recognised from watching Yugi Moto's duels on TV. "The princess is undeniably beautiful."

Looking back towards the princess who was my doppelgänger, I saw her looking up towards the pharaoh now, a deep blush had appeared on her cheeks. However, he nervous expression quickly changed to what looked to me like a rather entranced one.

"I welcome you to my household, Princess Nefertari," the pharaoh said to her after a brief moment of silence.

The princess bowed again. "It is a great honour, Pharaoh," she answered nervously.

I then heard the pharaoh chuckling lightly, though thankfully not in mockery. "Princess Nefertari, you truly are an exquisite young woman and I will be proud to be able to call you my wife."

Just then, the princess breathed what looked like an internal sigh of relief as the blush faded from her face.

The pharaoh then turned his attention back to his soon-to-be father-in-law. "The marriage shall take place in three days' time," he announced. Until then, I bid you make yourselves comfortable here. My servants shall show you to your chambers."

And with that, the image below me slowly faded until once again, I was engulfed in complete darkness and my consciousness slowly left me once more.

"I'm not kidding you, guys! I swear!" I cried. "I did! I absolutely swear, I dreamt that!"

It was now our second day in Domino City and we were sitting in the hotel's lounge, waiting for our breakfast to settle before going out to do more sightseeing. I decided to use this as an opportunity to tell my companions about the dream I had the previous night, my second one about the mysterious pharaoh who looked like Yugi Moto and the princess who looked like me. They were both giggling hysterically, as if amused by my story, or at least at the idea that I would have that dream, especially that soon after the previous one.

"What's going on?" asked Kirsten as she came back to join after having just used the restroom. "What's all the screeching about?"

"Iona just said she had a dream last night about her and Yugi Moto getting married," answered Beverley, grinning wildly as she was still unable to control her laughter.

"Um, wrong!" I protested irritably. "If you were paying attention, you would've heard that that was _not _what was going on in the dream at all!"

Kirsten just laughed quietly and rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "All right, Iona. Tell me about this dream that you had last night."

"Right, you remember that other dream I had after passing out in the museum yesterday?" I asked her. "The one about the pharaoh who looked very much like Yugi Moto and that other pharaoh he was talking to about marrying his daughter?"

"Yeah?" she answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, last night, I dreamt about the exact same pharaohagain," I continued. "Only this time, I saw his fiancée too, and she looked exactly like me as well. Not only that, she was also wearing the same freaking necklace that that guy in the museum gave to me yesterday!"

Kirsten just stared at me in complete silence while Beverley and Rachel fought to suppress more giggles that were clearly threatening to break free from them any second now.

"I know," I said, shaking my head. "I know, I can't explain that. That was just too… too freaky. _Way _too freaky. I mean, how many times does one dream about the same guy twice in the space of twenty-four hours?"

"Can I ask you a stupid question, Iona?" asked Beverley, once she was able to compose herself. "You did kinda meet Yugi Moto yesterday, didn't you?"

"By chance, yeah," I answered her. "Why?"

"Well, are you sure this isn't just the excitement from that meeting getting to you?" she asked.

"Well, that can't be the reason, can it?" I said to her in reply. "I mean, if it was, surely I'd be dreaming about me and Yugi and not just two people from ancient Egypt who look like us."

"Hey, Iona," Kirsten decided to cut in. "Didn't Yugi say to you that his grandfather found his puzzle thingy in the tomb of an ancient pharaoh?"

"Yeah, he did," I answered. "Why, what are you getting at?"

"Well, this is just sheer curiosity is all," she went on. "But this pharaoh that you've dreamt about, he didn't happen to be wearing it too, did he?"

"Hey, yeah!" I cried again. "Now that you mention it, he was!"

"Hey, I've got a theory!" Rachel said, raising her hand. "These dreams that you've had, you didn't start having these until _after _you got that necklace, right?"

"Right…" I replied, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Well, what if you're not dreaming this stuff at all," she explained. "But that necklace has some sort of magical power which is causing you to have visions about the past?"

"Yeah, and if we take Kirsten's point about the pharaoh wearing Yugi's puzzle and adding it to this theory of yours," Beverley added. "Then maybe it's trying to show her that Yugi and Iona's destinies are intertwined. You know, like they're destined to one day be together or something. You know, like history repeating itself, with two people in the 21st Century who look like this ancient Egyptian couple _and _who now own the exact same pieces of jewellery they themselves owned then?"

"No way. Not possible," I said, shaking my head. "Not possible."

"What makes you say that?" she asked, turning back to face me.

"Because this is real life," I explained to her. "And I know for a fact that magic of any sort does _not _exist in real life. In movies, books and television, perhaps, but _not _real life. It just isn't possible. And besides, what are they odds of me and Yugi ever ending up together anyway? I mean, I've only just met him once, so what chance do you think there is that I'll ever meet him again?"

"You know, speaking of television," I heard Kirsten say suddenly. "Look what so happens to be showing on that TV up there right now, just as we were talking about ancient Egyptian monarchs."

As the three of us turned to face her, we saw her now looking towards the TV hanging from the wall opposite us. As we all turned our gazes to said television, I saw what I instantly knew to be the News, from the man in the suit sitting at a desk with a few sheets of paper in his hands, facing straight into the camera. Next to him, was an image of what looked to me like an Egyptian desert, given the few pyramids in the background. Below him, was a headline which read in block capitals, "TOMB OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN QUEEN DISCOVERED".

I was sitting at my desk in my room, looking through all the cards in my deck, trying to take my mind off my growing anxiety for my spirit friend still shut away within the Millennium Puzzle, when I heard my grandpa calling to me from the next room.

"Yugi, come and see this!"

"Coming," I called back, putting my cards down and standing from my seat before making my way into the sitting room. There I found my grandfather sitting on the couch, watching something that was on the TV and holding onto the remote control. "What is it, gramps?" I asked him.

Turning to face me, my grandfather answered, "The tomb of an Egyptian queen has just been discovered."

"An Egyptian queen?" I repeated as I sat down on the couch next to him before turning my attention towards the TV screen. Evidently what he was watching was the News, given the reporter sitting at the desk and the headline below him which confirmed what my grandfather had just told me about this Egyptian tomb they had just found.

"And now for some very exciting news in Egypt," began the reporter in an enthusiastic manner. "In the Valley of the Queens, the tomb of a new queen has just been discovered by a team of British archaeologists working for the British Museum in London. Theories suggest that she was the wife of the same very famous nameless pharaoh who is believed to have saved the world from destruction over five thousand years ago. We go over to Brenda Davis for more information of this story. Brenda?"

And with that, the image on the screen changed to another reporter, standing in front of what appeared to be some archaeologists roaming around a campsite which they had put up just outside a newly opened Egyptian tomb.

"Thank you, Mike!" chirped the second reporter into her microphone. "Yes, some very exciting news here at the Valley of the Queens in Egypt as the tomb of yet _another _Egyptian queen has just been discovered! As you can see, the archaeologists scientists behind me are simply working away like a hive of bees, dating and cataloguing some of the various objects they have brought out from this ancient monarch's resting place. They have braved the scorching hot Egyptian sun for days on end now, working day and night, absolutely determined to find out as much about this new queen as they possibly can. And I'm happy to say that they have done very well thus far, for they have made some pretty interesting discoveries already. Here to discuss more about this amazing find with me is the leader of this enthusiastic expedition, Professor Richard Cumberbatch, head of the Egyptology department in London University."

As she spoke that last sentence, the camera slowly panned out to reveal a tall, dark haired man wearing a khaki shirt and fatigue trousers smiling proudly as he stood beside her. When she had finished, the reporter then turned to her guest and pointed her microphone to him, indicating that it was now his turn to speak.

"Hello, Brenda," he spoke in a posh British accent. "Of course, everyone knows about Egyptian rulers like Tutankhamen, Cleopatra, and that other nameless fellow who was mentioned earlier, but who I'minterested in are the ones who are still laying in their tombs to this day waiting to be discovered. As we know, more and more tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, queens, priests, et cetera, are being found all the time, and for me, that truly is where the _real _excitement comes from, discovering something new. So, as you can imagine, I am very, very excited about having discovered this new queen, whose tomb had previously remained undisturbed for the past five thousand years."

"So over the days that have passed since this exciting discovery of yours," the reporter began after the professor had finished. "Your team has learned some very interesting things about this new queen so far. But as usual, I think an introduction is in order first. Have you been able to identify a name for her yet?"

"Why, yes, Brenda, of course," the professor replied. "As is always the case when excavating an Egyptian tomb, we always have someone on our team who can read and decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics which are always imprinted either on the walls of the tombs or indeed on the sarcophaguses. From reading the hieroglyphics on her sarcophagus, our translator was able to identify this queen as Nefertari."

_Wait a minute. Nefertari? _I thought to myself, surprised. _That's the name of the princess I've been seeing and hearing about in my dreams._

"And as I understand it," the reporter went on. "This Nefertari seems to have had some sort of connection with the very well known nameless pharaoh. Is that correct?"

"Yes, indeed, she did, Brenda," smiled the professor. "A very strong connection at that. From reading the hieroglyphics that were on the walls of her tomb, our translator was able to give us some very specific details of her life. The fact that she was the wife of the nameless pharaoh was one of the most interesting ones. Also that she only ruled Egypt alongside him for about a few weeks, which leads me to believe that she died under some very suspicious circumstances. Although we do not yet know what the exact cause of her death was, given that we haven't even removed her body from the tomb as of now, but I am sure that that will all be made very clear to us once our scientists and doctors have put her through X-ray examination."

"So what evidence do you have exactly that she indeed was the wife of the nameless pharaoh?" asked the reporter. "Could his name have been on the walls of her tomb by any chance?"

"Well, evidence does suggest that it used to be on the walls before," the professor answered. "For instance, when we look at the section that tells us about her relations, the symbols that would've made up his name had been chiselled off. This leads me to believe that the nameless pharaoh perhaps _wanted _his name to remain a secret, and orders may have been made to have it removed from his wife's tomb after his own death. This I know from even more evidence that her tomb had been reopened at some point. Though the reason that he would want his name to be kept secret is still completely unclear to us all."

"This is all very interesting, Professor Cumberbatch," said the reporter with a smile. "This certainly appears to be a very unique find."

"Why, yes, indeed it is," agreed the professor. "Though not just because of who this queen was married to, but also because of another strange detail. You see, in all the tomb paintings on which the queen appears, she is always shown wearing this strange looking necklace that resembles a golden winged scarab. However, my team have pretty much removed everything of hers from her tomb besides her sarcophagus now, since it was tradition for the Egyptians to bury their dead alongside their personal items for them to be used in the afterlife. We have taken out all her clothes, all her jewellery, all her beauty things, everything that she would've used in life, and not once have we come across anything that looks like what she is depicted wearing in these paintings. This has to be the _first _Egyptian queen I've seen who hadn't been buried with _all _her belongings. Unless of course that necklace never even existed at all. It's a mystery to me."

As the professor spoke about all of this, the image changed from him and the reporter to photographs and video footage which had obviously been taken inside the tomb. One of the things that was shown was a tomb painting which showed the queen being led by the hand to the afterlife by the Mother Goddess, Isis. As the camera lingered on this particular image, I took a close look at the queen and saw with some surprise that she looked _exactly_ how I would've looked in the style of an Egyptian tomb painting! Not only that, when a closeup of the necklace the queen was wearing appeared on the screen, I grew even more surprised to see that it looked so much like my scarab necklace! Which could all only prove one thing; this Queen Nefertari was the same _Princess _Nefertari that I had been seeing in my dreams!

But how could that be? There was just no way that the person I had been dreaming about could ever have existed in real life! Nor could she ever have owned the same necklace which I now had!

Suddenly becoming so overcome with shock at what I was seeing and hearing, I immediately stood from my seat and ran through the hotel lounge without even thinking about it. I barely even noticed the concerned calls of my companions and the confused gazes of the people I passed until I plunged through the door to the ladies' restroom.

I gasped at the sudden sensation which I felt from with my Millennium Puzzle at that moment, the same sensation that I felt the day before. Only this time, it seemed to feel stronger. Knowing all too well what it meant, I tightly grasped the Puzzle in my hand and looked down at it, suddenly feeling more worried for the Pharaoh than before.

"Are you all right, Yugi?" asked my grandfather with mild concern.

"It's happened again," I told him. "The Pharaoh's sadness has gotten worse. _Much _worse."

"Hmm…" Grandpa turned back to the television screen then, with a very serious look on his face.

"Grandpa, you don't think this queen they just talked about could be the reason behind it, do you?" I asked him.

"I've got a bad feeling that it is, Yugi," he answered solemnly. "If what I am assuming is true, then Pharaoh Atem harboured romantic feelings for this queen of his. And if she had already passed away by the time he had saved the world from destruction, then that could definitely be the reason behind why he has been acting the way he has since we got back from Egypt."

"But if all of that _is _true, then why would he refuse to go to the afterlife after I defeated him in the Ceremonial Duel?" I asked again. "If he really loved her that much, then wouldn't he want to see her again after all these years?"

Grandpa shook his head sadly. "Sometimes it's not as simple as that, Yugi."

Just then, we both fell silent once more, my grandfather back to staring at the TV and me staring down at my Puzzle again. I was now fairly certain that I finally had the answer behind the Pharaoh's recent behaviour, but it still didn't make sense to me. Sure my grandfather had already pointed out that simply stepping into the afterlife in order to see one's long lost wife again might not have been as simple as I had first thought. But what possible obstacle could there have been still that he would feel unable to do so? Could he be blaming himself for her death or something? If so, then how did she die and what could he feel he could've done to prevent it?

As all these questions ran through my head, another thing came to me suddenly. "There was something familiar about her, Grandpa," I said at last.

"Hm?" he asked, turning his attention back to me.

"Her image on that tomb painting," I explained. "She looked very much like that girl that I spoke to yesterday. And did you see the necklace she was depicted as wearing too?"

"You mean the winged scarab one?" asked Grandpa. "Didn't you say that the girl you met wore something that looked like that too?"

I nodded. "_Exactly_ like it," I said. "And that meeting was when I first sensed the Pharaoh's depression increasing and I'm sure it's no coincidence. In fact, I'm betting that she has some strong connection to the Pharaoh and his wife, and we have to find out what that is if we want to help him."

My grandfather nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the picture is become much clearer to us now," he said. "But we still don't have all the answers we are looking for. We might have theories so far, but it would be much more helpful if we knew the whole thing for sure. I still stand by my previous suggestion in contacting the Ishtars and see if they can shed some light on this matter."

"Yes, you're right," I agreed. Standing from the couch, I then added, "But first, I think I should arrange to have the guys over. They are the Pharaoh's friends after all and they are just as worried about him as we are. So it's only fair that they all learn about it too."

"Quite right," said Grandpa.

Going over to the phone, I picked up the receiver and dialled the first number. I waited a few rings before I finally heard the person on the other end to pick up.

"Hello?" came the sound of Téa's voice.

"Téa, it's me, Yugi," I spoke into the receiver.

"Hey, Yugi!" chirped my friend. "What's up?"

"Not much," I told her. "Listen, are you available tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I think so," she replied. "Why? What's the occasion?"

I paused for a moment before simply answering her, "There's something I think you all should know."


End file.
